2 Corinthians 11

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

I would that you bear with me a little in my folly: yes indeed you do bear with me.

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

For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God: for I espoused you to one husband, to present you a pure virgin to Christ;

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

but I fear, lest, as the serpent beguiled Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ.

4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news” which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough.

For if indeed one coming preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or you receive another spirit, which you did not receive, or another gospel which you did not receive, well do you bear with him.

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

For I consider that I am not inferior to the chief of the apostles.

6 But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.

If indeed rude in speech, but not in knowledge; but in every thing making manifest unto you in all things.

7 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?

Did I commit sin humbling myself that you may be exalted, because I preached unto you the gospel of God gratuitously?

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

I robbed other churches, having received support for your ministry, and being present with you and being destitute, I burdened no one;

9 When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t 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.

for the brethren, having come from Macedonia, supplied my deficiency; and in everything I rendered myself not burdensome to you, and will so render.

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

The truth of Christ is in me, that this glorying shall not cease unto me in the regions of Achaia.

11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.

Why? because I do not love you with divine love? God knows.

12 But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity, that in which they boast, they may be recognized just like us.

But what I am doing, I indeed will do, in order that I may cut off occasion from those wishing occasion, in order that in whatsoever they may glory, they may be found even as we are.

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

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

And no wonder; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

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

Then it is no great wonder if his ministers are transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose, end shall be according to their works.

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

Again I say, Let no one consider me to be a fool; but if not, receive me as a fool, in order that I may indeed glory some little.

17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

What I say, I am not saying according to the Lord, but as it were in folly, in this confidence of glorying.

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

Since many glory in the flesh, I will glory also.

19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

For cheerfully do you, being wise, bear with the foolish:

20 For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face.

for you bear with them, if any one enslaves you, if any one devours you, if any one captures you, if any one is exalted against you, if any one smites you in the face.

21 To my shame, I speak as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

I speak according to disparagement, as that we are weak; but in whatsoever any one is bold, (I speak it in folly, ) 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? I am also. Are they Israelites? I am also. Are they the seed of Abraham? I am also.

23 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, and in deaths often.

Are they the ministers of Christ? (I speak as a mad man, ) I am more; in labors more abundantly, in stripes more abundantly, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often;

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

from the Jews five times I received forty stripes save one,

25 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.

thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a day and a night I spent in the deep.

26 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;

Often in journeys, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own race, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

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

in labor and in toil, in vigils often, in hunger and in thirst, in fastings often, in cold and in nakedness.

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

Besides all these, that which comes upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I do not burn?

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

But if it behooves me to glory, I will glory in those things appertaining to my infirmities.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one being blessed forever, knows that I lie not. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me.

In Damascus Areta the governor of the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to arrest me:

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

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