2 Corinthians 11

1 O that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also do bear 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 zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present 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 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;

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, 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],

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 reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,

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

6 and even if unlearned in word — yet not in knowledge, but in every thing we were made manifest in all things 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 The sin did I do — myself humbling that ye might be exalted, because freely the good news of God I did proclaim 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 other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;

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

9 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.

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 The truth of Christ is in me, because this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia;

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

11 wherefore? because I do not love you? God hath known!

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

12 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;

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 those such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,

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

14 and no wonder — for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger of light;

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

15 no great thing, then, if also his ministrants do transform themselves as ministrants of righteousness — whose end shall be according to their works.

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

16 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.

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 That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;

That which I speak, I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

18 since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:

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

19 for gladly do ye bear with the fools — being wise,

For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

20 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;

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 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.

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 Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

23 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;

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 five times forty [stripes] save one I did receive;

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

25 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;

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 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;

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 in labouriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, 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 the things without — the crowding upon me that is daily — the care of all the assemblies.

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

29 Who is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

30 if to boast it behoveth [me], of the things of my infirmity I will boast;

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

31 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ — who is blessed to the ages — hath known that I do not lie! — (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not lie. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, desiring to arrest me.

33 and through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.

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