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 I, Paul, am myself appealing to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (I who am ‘humble when present’ among you, but ‘bold when absent’ toward you).

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, —

Yes, I beg you, that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence that I will ‘dare’ to visit upon some who think that we are walking in a fleshly manner.

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

Well, we do walk about in flesh, but we do not wage war that way,

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

because the weapons of our warfare are not physical, but are powerful in God for demolishing 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,

demolishing sophistries and every arrogance that sets itself up against the knowledge of God; taking 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!

being ready to punish every act of disobedience, whenever 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.

Do you only look at the ‘face’ of things? If anyone has persuaded himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also we are Christ's.

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, —

Now even if I boast a little to excess about our authority (which the Lord gave us for building up, not to tear you down), I will not act ashamed,

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

so as not to appear to agree that it is only with letters that I ‘terrify’ you.

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; —

Because some say, “His letters are ‘heavy’ and forceful, but his physical presence is weak, and his speech can be disdained.”

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.

Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters while absent is just what we will be in action 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!

Now we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

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 proper limits, but will stay within the boundaries that God assigned to us, a field that includes 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:

For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we had not reached you, because we did indeed get to 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, —

nor do we boast ‘off limits’ in the labors of others, but we have hope that as your faith grows our boundaries will be greatly expanded through you,

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 as to evangelize the regions beyond you (not to boast in work already done in someone else's field).

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

“He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

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

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