2 Corinthians 11
1 I could wish that you would tolerate a little folly in me! But indeed you do tolerate me.
I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.
2 I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God. For I betrothed you to one husband, that I might present you to the Christ a pure bride.
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 Yet I fear that it may turn out that, just as the Serpent by his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may have lost the loyalty and purity due from you to the 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 some new-comer 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 marvellously tolerant!
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 I do not regard myself as in any way inferior to the most eminent Apostles!
For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.
6 Though I am no trained orator, yet I am not without knowledge; indeed we made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
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 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.
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 taking pay from them, so that I might serve you!
I robbed other churches, taking wages from them that I might serve you.
9 And, when I was with you in need, I did not become a burden to any of you; for our Brothers, on coming from Macedonia, supplied my needs. I kept myself, and will keep myself from being an expense to you in any way.
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 I know anything of the Truth of Christ, this boast, as far as I am concerned, shall not be stopped in any part of Greece.
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 that I do!
Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.
12 What I am doing now I shall continue to do, that I may 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.
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 Men of this stamp are false apostles, treacherous 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 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.
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 say again — Let no one think me a fool! Yet, if you do, at least welcome me as you would a fool, that I, too may indulge in a little boasting.
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 When I speak thus, I am not speaking as the Master would, but as a fool might, in boasting so confidently.
That which I speak, I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
18 As so many are boasting of earthly things, I, too, will boast.
Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.
19 For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough!
For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.
20 You tolerate a man even when he enslaves you, when he plunders you, when he gets you into his power, when he puts on airs of superiority, when he strikes 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 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!
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 descendants 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’? 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.
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 at the hands of the Jews forty lashes, all but 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. I have spent a whole day and night in the deep.
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 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 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 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.
in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.
28 And, not to speak of other things, there is my daily burden of anxiety about 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 without my being weak? Who is led astray without my burning 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 of things which 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 — he who is for ever blessed — knows that I am speaking the truth. (aiōn g165)
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not lie. (aiōn g165)
32 When I was in Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas had the gates of that city guarded, so as 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 wall, and so escaped his hands.
Through a window I was let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.
