2 Corinthians 10

1 Moreover, I, Paul, myself, exhort you, through the meekness and considerateness of the Christ, —I who, to look upon, indeed, am lowly toward you, but, absent, am bold towards you; —

Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.

2 I entreat, however, that, when present, I may not be bold with the assurance wherewith I think to be daring against some who account of us as though, according to flesh, we were walking, —

I beg you that when I come I may not need to be as bold as I expect toward those who presume that we live according to the flesh.

3 For, though, in flesh, we walk, not, according to flesh, do we war, —

For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.

4 For, the weapons of our warfare, are not fleshly, but mighty, by God, unto a pulling down of strongholds, —

The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

5 When we pull down, calculations, and every height that uplifteth itself against the knowledge of God, and when we bring into captivity every thought unto the obedience of the Christ,

We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

6 And when we hold ourselves, in readiness, to avenge all disobedience, as soon as your obedience shall be fulfilled!

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.

7 The things that lie on the surface, ye are looking at: —if anyone hath come to trust in himself that he is, Christ’s, this, let him reckon, again, with himself—that, even as, he, is Christ’s, so, also are, we.

You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that we belong to Christ just as much as he does.

8 Yea, if, somewhat more abundantly, I should boast concerning our authority—which the Lord hath given for building up and not for pulling you down, I shall not be put to shame, —

For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.

9 That I may not seem as though I would be terrifying you through means of my letters;

I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters.

10 Because, The letters, it is true (saith one), are weighty and strong, but, the presence of the body, is weak, and, the discourse, contemptible; —

For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”

11 This, let such a one reckon—that, what we are, in our word, through means of letters, being absent, such, also, being present, are we, in our deed.

Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present.

12 For we dare not class or compare ourselves with some who do, themselves, commend; but, they, among themselves, measuring, themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without discernment!

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.

13 We, however, not as to the things without measure, will boast ourselves, but, according to the measure of the limit which God apportioned unto us, as a measure—to reach as far as even you!

We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that reaches even to you.

14 For, not as though we were not reaching unto you, are we over-stretching ourselves, for, as far as even you, were we beforehand in the glad-message of the Christ:

We are not overstepping our bounds, as if we had not come to you. Indeed, we were the first to reach you with the gospel of Christ.

15 Not, as to the things without measure, boasting ourselves in other men’s toils, but having, hope—your faith, growing—among you, to be enlarged, according to our limit for something beyond, —

Neither do we boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. But we hope that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well,

16 Unto the regions beyond you, to carry the glad-message: not, within another man’s limit, as to the things made ready, to boast ourselves.

so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man’s territory.

17 He that boasteth, however, in the Lord, let him boast;

Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

18 For, not he that commendeth himself, he, is approved, but he whom, the Lord, doth commend.

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.