< 2 Corinthians 11 >
1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.
O that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also 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 zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present 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.
and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that [is] in the 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, he who is coming doth preach another Jesus whom we did not preach, or another Spirit ye receive which ye did not receive, or other good news which ye did not accept — well were ye bearing [it],
5 For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.
for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest 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.
and even if unlearned in word — yet not in knowledge, but in every thing we were made manifest in all things to you.
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?
The sin did I do — myself humbling that ye might be exalted, because freely the good news of God I did proclaim to you?
8 I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.
other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;
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.
and being present with you, and having been in want, I was chargeable to no one, for my lack did the brethren supply — having come from Macedonia — and in everything burdenless to you I did keep myself, and will keep.
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, because this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia;
11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.
wherefore? because I do not love you? God hath known!
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.
and what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those wishing an occasion, that in that which they boast they may be found according as we also;
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.
for those such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,
14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
and no wonder — for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger 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.
no great thing, then, if also his ministrants do transform themselves as ministrants 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, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, even as a fool receive me, that I also a little may boast.
17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;
18 Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.
since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:
19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.
for gladly do ye bear with the fools — being wise,
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 ye bear, if any one is bringing you under bondage, if any one doth devour, if any one doth take away, if any one doth exalt himself, if any one on the face doth smite you;
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.
in reference to dishonour I speak, how that we were weak, and in whatever any one is bold — in foolishness I say [it] — I also am bold.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.
Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I 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.
ministrants of Christ are they? — as beside myself I speak — I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times;
24 Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.
from Jews five times forty [stripes] save one I did receive;
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 night and a day in the deep I have passed;
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;
journeyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, 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 labouriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness;
28 Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies.
apart from the things without — the crowding upon me that is daily — the care of all the assemblies.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?
Who is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.
if to boast it behoveth [me], of the things of my infirmity I will boast;
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. (aiōn )
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ — who is blessed to the ages — hath known that I do not lie! — (aiōn )
32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me.
In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,
33 I was let down in a basket through a window by the wall, and escaped his hands.
and through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.