2 Corinthians 11
1 I could wish that you would tolerate a little folly in me! But indeed you do tolerate me.
If only you would bear with me for a bit in my foolishness! Yes, 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.
I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin 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.
But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds will be led astray from simple devotion to 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 marvelously tolerant!
For if someone comes to you and preaches a different message about Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you bear with it well enough.
5 I do not regard myself as in any way inferior to the most eminent apostles!
For I consider myself to be in no way inferior to these “super-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.
I may be untrained in speech, but I do not lack knowledge; indeed, in every way we have been made known to you in everything.
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.
Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
8 I robbed other churches by taking pay from them, so that I might serve you!
I “robbed” other churches by receiving support from them in order to serve you!
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.
When I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.
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.
As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!
Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
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.
But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may deny any opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about.
13 Such people are false apostles, treacherous workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ!
For such men are false apostles and deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder; for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel 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.
Therefore it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will 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.
I repeat: Let no one consider me to be a fool. But if you do, receive me just as you would a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
17 When I speak like this, I am not speaking as the Master would, but as a fool might, in boasting so confidently.
What I say in this confidence of boasting, I am not saying in accordance with the Lord, but as a fool.
18 As so many are boasting of earthly things, I, too, will boast.
Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.
19 For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough!
For you gladly bear with fools since you are so 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!
You bear with it if anyone enslaves you, devours you, takes advantage of you, exalts himself, or hits you in the face.
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!
To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking like a fool—I also dare to boast about.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I! Are they Israelites? So am I! Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I!
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.
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.
Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so, with far more labors, with beatings beyond measure, with far more imprisonments, and often facing death.
24 Five times I received at the hands of my own people forty lashes, all but one.
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
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.
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I spent in the open sea.
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.
I have often been on journeys, exposed to dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers.
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.
I have endured labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, and hunger and thirst. I have often gone without food and have been cold due to a lack of sufficient clothing.
28 And, not to speak of other things, there is my daily burden of anxiety about all the churches.
Apart from these external things, there is my daily burden: my concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led astray without my burning with indignation?
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of things which show my weakness!
If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show my weakness.
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 the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (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 governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes, wanting to arrest me,
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
but I was let down in a basket through a window in the city wall and escaped from his hands.
