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, myself appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when with you face to face, but bold toward you when absent!

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 ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think that we walk according to the flesh.

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

For though we walk 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, —

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful in God for tearing down 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 high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

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

We are ready to punish any disobedience, once 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.

Are you looking only at outward appearances? If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that just as he belongs to Christ, so we also belong to Christ.

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 further about our authority (which the Lord has given us for building you up and not for 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;

For I do not want to seem as though I am 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, “His letters,” they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech amounts to nothing.”

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.

The people who say such things should realize that what we say in our letters when we are absent, we will demonstrate by our actions when we are 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!

For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves with one another and compare themselves to one another, they do not show good sense.

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 certain limits, but will confine our boasting to the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even as far as 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 did not reach you; we were the first to come all the way 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, —

We do not go beyond our limits by boasting in the labors of others. On the contrary, our hope is that, as your faith increases, our area of ministry among you will be greatly expanded,

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, without boasting about work already done in someone else's area of ministry.

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

But, “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.