2 Corinthians 11
1 If only you would bear with me for a bit in my foolishness! Yes, do bear with me!
I wish ye would bear with me a little in my folly; and indeed 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, having espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste 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 fear least as the serpent seduced Eve by his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the 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, that cometh to you, preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached; or if ye receive another Spirit which ye have not received, or another gospel which ye have not embraced, ye might indeed bear with him.
5 For I consider myself to be in no way inferior to these “super-apostles.”
For I think I was not inferior to the very chiefest apostles: and if I am unskilled in speech,
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.
yet not in knowledge ---but we have been fully manifested among 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?
Have I committed an offence in humbling myself that ye might be exalted? and in that I have preached the gospel of God to you gratis?
8 I “robbed” other churches by receiving support from them in order to serve you!
I trespassed on other churches, receiving maintenance from them for your service.
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.
And when I was present among you, and in want, I was chargeable to no one. For the brethren that came from Macedonia supplied my want: and in every thing I have kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.
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, this boast shall not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
Wherefore? because I love you not?
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.
God knoweth. But what I do, I will do, that I may cut off occasion from those that desire an occasion of boasting or censure, that in what they boast of they may be found to do even as we do.
13 For such men are false apostles and deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transformed into apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
And no wonder: for Satan himself is transformed into 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 therefore no great thing, if his ministers also be transformed into ministers of righteousness; whose end shall 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 herein; but if they do, yet bear with my weakness, 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.
What I speak I speak not as from the Lord, but as in weakness, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.
Since many boast in the flesh, I will boast also.
19 For you gladly bear with fools since you are so wise!
For ye bear with fools willingly, being yourselves so wise:
20 You bear with it if anyone enslaves you, devours you, takes advantage of you, exalts himself, or hits you in the face.
ye bear it, even if any one enslave you, if any devour you, if any take your substance, if any be lifted up, yea if any one smite 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 of their reproaches, as if we were weak: but whereinsoever any one may be confident (though I speak foolishly) I may be confident too.
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 the seed of Abraham?
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.
so am I: are they ministers of Christ? (if I may speak as a fool) I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes far exceeding, in prisons more frequently, and often even in deaths.
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
From the Jews I have five times received forty stripes save 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.
Thrice I have been beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I have been shipwrecked, and was a night and a day on 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.
in journies often, in perils from rivers, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils on the sea, in perils among false brethren:
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 toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness: and beside these outward troubles,
28 Apart from these external things, there is my daily burden: my concern for all the churches.
that which besets me daily, the care of 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 infirm, and I am not infirm also? who is offended, and I am not inflamed?
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 which relate to my infirmity.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (aiōn g165)
And the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lye not. (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 king Aretas, placed guards about the city to seize me:
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the city wall and escaped from his hands.
and I was let down by the wall through a window in a basket, and so escaped his hands.
