2 Corinthians 11

1 I wish that you could put up with me in some foolishness. But you are indeed putting up with me!

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

2 For I am jealous about you. I have a godly jealousy for you, since I promised you in marriage to one husband. I promised 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 somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your thoughts might be led astray away from a sincere and pure 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 suppose that someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we preached. Or suppose that you receive a different spirit than what you received. Or suppose that you receive a different gospel than the one you received. You put up with these things 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 think that I am not in the least inferior to those so-called super-apostles.

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

6 But even if I am untrained in giving speeches, I am not untrained in knowledge. In every way and in all things we have made this known to you.

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 sin by humbling myself so you might be exalted? For I freely preached the gospel of God to you.

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 accepting support from them so that I could serve you.

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

9 When I was with you and I was in need, I did not burden anyone. For my needs were met by the brothers who came from Macedonia. In everything I have kept myself from being a burden to you, and I will continue to do that.

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 the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the parts 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.

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

12 And what I do I will keep doing, in order that I may take away the claim for criticizing me and the claim for which they want to boast—that they are found to be doing the same work that we are doing.

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 people are false apostles and deceitful workers. They disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.

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

14 And this is no surprise, 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 no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their fate will be what their deeds deserve.

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 I am a fool. But if you do, receive me as a fool so I 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 am saying with this boastful confidence—I am not talking the way the Lord would—I am saying 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 people boast according to the flesh, I will also boast.

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

19 For you gladly put up with fools. You are wise yourselves!

For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

20 For you put up with someone if he enslaves you, if he consumes you, if he takes advantage of you, if he considers himself better than you, or if he slaps 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 will say to our shame that we were too weak to do that. Yet if anyone boasts—I am speaking like a fool—I too will boast.

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? (I speak as though I were out of my mind.) I am more. I have been in even more hard work, in far more prisons, in beatings beyond measure, in facing many dangers of 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 From Jews I received five times 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. I have spent a night and a day on 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 been on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own people, in danger from the Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger at sea, in danger from 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 at hard work and in hardship, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness.

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

28 Apart from everything else, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety 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 has been caused to stumble, and I do not burn?

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 what shows my weaknesses.

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

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, the one who is praised 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 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus 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 lowered in a basket through a window in the wall, and I escaped from his hands.

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