2 Corinthians 11

1 If only you would bear with me for a bit in my foolishness! Yes, do bear with me!

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.

2 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.

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

3 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.

But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the sincerity and purity that is in Christ.

4 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.

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different "good news", which you did not accept, you put up with that well enough.

5 For I consider myself to be in no way inferior to these “super-apostles.”

For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.

6 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.

Even though I am unskilled in speech, I am not unskilled in knowledge. But in every way we have made this known to you in all things.

7 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?

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God's Good News free of charge?

8 I “robbed” other churches by receiving support from them in order to serve you!

I robbed other churches, taking wages from them that I might serve you.

9 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.

When I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.

10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.

As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.

12 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.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they boast, they may be found even as we.

13 For such men are false apostles and deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ's apostles.

14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.

It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

16 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.

I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.

17 What I say in this confidence of boasting, I am not saying in accordance with the Lord, but as a fool.

That which I speak, I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.

Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.

19 For you gladly bear with fools since you are so wise!

For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

20 You bear with it if anyone enslaves you, devours you, takes advantage of you, exalts himself, or hits you in the face.

For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone exalts himself, if someone strikes you on the face.

21 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.

I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet however any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

23 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.

Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I am more so; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.

24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one.

25 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.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.

26 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.

I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from those who are not Jews, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;

27 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.

in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

28 Apart from these external things, there is my daily burden: my concern for all the churches.

Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily, anxiety for all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

30 If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show my weakness.

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not lie. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes, wanting to arrest me,

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, desiring to arrest me.

33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the city wall and escaped from his hands.

Through a window I was let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.