2 Corinthians 11
1 I could wish ye would bear with me as to some little foolishness, —Nay! do even bear with me!
I could wish that you would tolerate a little folly in me! But indeed you do tolerate me.
2 For I am jealous over you with a jealousy, of God; for I myself betrothed you unto one husband, to present, a chaste virgin, unto the Christ, —
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.
3 But I fear lest, by any means, as, the serpent, completely deceived Eve, in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the singleness [and the chasteness] which are [due] unto the Christ.
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.
4 For, if, indeed, he that cometh, is proclaiming, another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed, or, a different Spirit, ye are receiving, which ye had not received, or a different glad-message, which ye have never welcomed, ye are, well, bearing.
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!
5 For I reckon not to have come a whit behind the exceeding overmuch apostles;
I do not regard myself as in any way inferior to the most eminent apostles!
6 And, even if uncultured in my discourse, certainly not in my knowledge, —but, in every way, having made [it] manifest, in all things, unto you.
Though I am no trained orator, yet I am not without knowledge; indeed we made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
7 Or, a sin, did I commit—abasing, myself, that, ye, might be exalted, —in that, free of charge, God’s glad-message, I announced unto you?
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.
8 Other assemblies, I despoiled, receiving supplies that I might minister, unto you;
I robbed other churches by taking pay from them, so that I might serve you!
9 And, being present with you, and having come short, I was not burdensome to anyone, —for, my deficiency, the brethren, coming from Macedonia, helped to make up; —and, in everything, without burden unto you, I kept, myself—and will keep!
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.
10 Truth of Christ is in me, that, this boasting, shall not be silenced unto me, in the regions of Achaia.
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.
11 Wherefore? Because I love you not? God, knoweth!
Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!
12 But, what I am doing, I also will do, —that I may cut off the occasion of them who are wishing an occasion, that, wherein they are boasting themselves, they may be found even as also, we.
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.
13 For, such as these, are false apostles, deceitful workers, transfiguring themselves into apostles of Christ.
Such people are false apostles, treacherous workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ!
14 And no marvel! for, Satan himself, doth transfigure himself into a messenger of light!
And no wonder; for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 No great thing, therefore, if, his ministers also, are transfiguring themselves as ministers of righteousness!—whose end, shall be according to their works.
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.
16 Again, I say—let no one deem me to be, foolish; but, otherwise, at least, as foolish, give me welcome, that, I also, some little, may boast myself.
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.
17 What I am saying, not according to the Lord, am I saying, but as in foolishness, —in this my boastful confidence!
When I speak like this, I am not speaking as the Master would, but as a fool might, in boasting so confidently.
18 Since, many, are boasting after the flesh, I also, will boast;
As so many are boasting of earthly things, I, too, will boast.
19 For, gladly, do ye bear with the foolish, being [yourselves], discreet, —
For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough!
20 For ye bear with it—if anyone enslaveth you, if any devoureth, if anyone taketh, if anyone lifteth himself up, if anyone, on the face, doth smite you!
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!
21 By way of disparagement, am I speaking, —as though, we, had been weak! whereas, in whatsoever anyone dareth, in foolishness I speak, I also, dare: —
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!
22 Hebrews, are they? I also, Israelites, are they? I also, seed of Abraham, are they? I also,
Are they Hebrews? So am I! Are they Israelites? So am I! Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I!
23 Ministers of Christ, are they? As one deranged I am talking, I, above measure!—in toils, superabundantly, in prisons, superabundantly, in stripes, to excess, in deaths, oft, —
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.
24 From Jews, five times, forty-save-one, have I received,
Five times I received at the hands of my own people forty lashes, all but one.
25 Thrice, have I been beaten with rods, once, have I been stoned, thrice, have I been shipwrecked, a day and night, in the deep, have I spent;
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.
26 In journeyings oft, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own race, in perils from Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils by the sea, in perils among false brethren,
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.
27 in toil and hardship, in watchings, oft, in hunger and thirst, in fasting, oft, in cold and nakedness: —
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.
28 Apart from the things without, my daily care, —my anxiety for all the assemblies; —
And, not to speak of other things, there is my daily burden of anxiety about all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and, I, am not burning?
Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led astray without my burning with indignation?
30 If, to boast, is needful, in the things that concern my weakness, will I boast.
If I must boast, I will boast of things which show my weakness!
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, knoweth—He who is blessed unto the ages—that I am not speaking falsely: (aiōn g165)
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus – he who is for ever blessed – knows that I am speaking the truth. (aiōn g165)
32 In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of Damascenes, to apprehend me, —
When I was in Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas had the gates of that city guarded, so as to arrest me,
33 And, through a window, was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
