2 Corinthians 11
1 I could wish that you would tolerate a little folly in me! But indeed you do tolerate me.
O that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also do bear with me:
2 I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God. For I promised you in marriage as a pure bride, to one husband – the Christ.
for I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ,
3 Yet I fear that it may turn out that, just as the snake by his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may have lost the loyalty and purity due from you to the Christ.
and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that [is] in the Christ;
4 For, if some newcomer is proclaiming a Jesus other than him whom we proclaimed, or if you are receiving a Spirit different from the Spirit which you received, or a good news different from that which you welcomed, then you are marvellously tolerant!
for if, indeed, he who is coming doth preach another Jesus whom we did not preach, or another Spirit ye receive which ye did not receive, or other good news which ye did not accept — well were ye bearing [it],
5 I do not regard myself as in any way inferior to the most eminent apostles!
for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,
6 Though I am no trained orator, yet I am not without knowledge; indeed we made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
and even if unlearned in word — yet not in knowledge, but in every thing we were made manifest in all things to you.
7 Perhaps you say that I did wrong in humbling myself that you might be exalted – I mean because I told you God’s good news without payment.
The sin did I do — myself humbling that ye might be exalted, because freely the good news of God I did proclaim to you?
8 I robbed other churches by taking pay from them, so that I might serve you!
other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;
9 And, when I was with you in need, I did not become a burden to any of you; for our friends, on coming from Macedonia, supplied my needs. I kept myself, and will keep myself from being an expense to you in any way.
and being present with you, and having been in want, I was chargeable to no one, for my lack did the brethren supply — having come from Macedonia — and in everything burdenless to you I did keep myself, and will keep.
10 As surely as I know anything of the truth of Christ, this boast, as far as I am concerned, will not be stopped in any part of Greece.
The truth of Christ is in me, because this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia;
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!
wherefore? because I do not love you? God hath known!
12 What I am doing now I will continue to do in order to cut away the ground from under those who are wishing for some ground for attacking me, so that as regards the thing of which they boast they may appear in their true characters, just as we do.
and what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those wishing an occasion, that in that which they boast they may be found according as we also;
13 Such people are false apostles, treacherous workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ!
for those such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,
14 And no wonder; for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
and no wonder — for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger of light;
15 It is not surprising, therefore, if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. But their end will be in accordance with their actions.
no great thing, then, if also his ministrants do transform themselves as ministrants of righteousness — whose end shall be according to their works.
16 I say again – Let no one think me a fool! Yet, if you do, at least welcome me as you would a fool, so that I, too may indulge in a little boasting.
Again I say, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, even as a fool receive me, that I also a little may boast.
17 When I speak like this, I am not speaking as the Master would, but as a fool might, in boasting so confidently.
That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;
18 As so many are boasting of earthly things, I, too, will boast.
since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:
19 For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough!
for gladly do ye bear with the fools — being wise,
20 You tolerate a person even when they enslave you, when they plunder you, when they get you into their power, when they put on airs of superiority, when they strike you in the face!
for ye bear, if any one is bringing you under bondage, if any one doth devour, if any one doth take away, if any one doth exalt himself, if any one on the face doth smite you;
21 I admit, to my shame, that we have been weak. But whatever the subject on which others are not afraid to boast – though it is foolish to say so – I am not afraid either!
in reference to dishonour I speak, how that we were weak, and in whatever any one is bold — in foolishness I say [it] — I also am bold.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I! Are they Israelites? So am I! Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I!
Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!
23 Are they “Servants of Christ”? Though it is madness to talk like this, I am more so than they! I have had more of toil, more of imprisonment! I have been flogged times without number. I have been often at death’s door.
ministrants of Christ are they? — as beside myself I speak — I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times;
24 Five times I received at the hands of my own people forty lashes, all but one.
from Jews five times forty [stripes] save one I did receive;
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a whole day and night in the deep.
thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep I have passed;
26 My journeys have been many. I have been through dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in towns, dangers in the country, dangers on the sea, dangers among people pretending to be followers of the Lord.
journeyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brethren;
27 I have been through toil and hardship. I have passed many a sleepless night; I have endured hunger and thirst; I have often been without food; I have known cold and nakedness.
in labouriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness;
28 And, not to speak of other things, there is my daily burden of anxiety about all the churches.
apart from the things without — the crowding upon me that is daily — the care of all the assemblies.
29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led astray without my burning with indignation?
Who is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;
30 If I must boast, I will boast of things which show my weakness!
if to boast it behoveth [me], of the things of my infirmity I will boast;
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus – he who is for ever blessed – knows that I am speaking the truth. (aiōn g165)
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ — who is blessed to the ages — hath known that I do not lie! — (aiōn g165)
32 When I was in Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas had the gates of that city guarded, so as to arrest me,
In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
and through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.
