2 Korinther 11
1 O möchtet ihr ein wenig Torheit von mir hinnehmen! Nehmt es von mir hin!
[But now, because my opponents are saying that Christ sent them to you as his representatives and that he did not send me], please be patient with me, too, [while I say a] few things [that may sound as if] [IRO] [I am praising myself, like] a foolish person [would do. You have been] ([putting up with/tolerating]) [those who teach what is false; ] now then, (put up with/tolerate) me [too].
2 Mit einer göttlichen Eifersucht bin ich für euch ja eifersüchtig; ich habe euch einem Manne verlobt, um euch als keusche Jungfrau Christus zuzuführen.
I really do care about [what happens to] you, just as God cares about [what happens to you. Just like a father wants his daughter to be sexually pure when he presents her to the man she will marry] [MET], I [want you to belong] to Christ [alone and to no other]. I want to present you [to him] as people who remain faithful to him [only, and who have not believed the deceitful message of those who are teaching what is false].
3 Ich fürchte nur, wie einst die Schlange mit ihrer Arglist die Eva verführt hat, so könnte auch euer Denken verdorben werden weg von der schlichten Hingabe an Christus.
However, just like [Satan, when he] cunningly [appeared as a] snake, deceived Eve [and caused her to disobey the Lord God], I am concerned that [those teachers] will cause you to think wrongly so that you will no longer [be faithful to] Christ alone.
4 Wenn einer kommt und euch einen anderen Jesus verkündigt als den, den wir verkündet haben, oder wenn ihr einen anderen Geist bekämet, den ihr bis jetzt nicht empfangen habt, oder ein anderes Evangelium, wie ihr es nicht erhalten habt, so laßt ihr euch dies gefallen.
[I say that] because some people have come among you who are teaching [their own thoughts about] Jesus. They [are saying about him] things that are [entirely] different from what I taught you. [They are urging] you to receive a [powerful] spirit who [would come to live in you], but it is not the same [Spirit] that you received [from God when you believed in Christ]. They preach [what they call] a good message, and you accept [their message, even though it is not the same as the good message about Christ that you heard from me. And] you have gladly accepted them and their message!
5 Ich denke, daß ich in nichts den "Überaposteln" nachstehe.
I consider that [LIT] none of those [men, even though they think of themselves as being] [IRO] extra-special apostles, are in any way greater than I am.
6 Mag ich auch ein Stümper im Ausdruck sein, so doch nicht an Erkenntnis, die wir bei euch in allem durchaus kundgetan haben.
[I admit that] I am not an eloquent speaker, but I do know [God’s message]. I have made that clear to you by everything [that I have done among you and by everything that I have taught you].
7 Habe ich denn eine Sünde damit getan, daß ich mich selbst erniedrigte, nur um euch zu erhöhen, weil ich euch das Evangelium Gottes unentgeltlich verkündigt habe?
[I refused to accept money] from you as pay for teaching you God’s message about Christ. (It is ridiculous for you to think that what I did was wrong!/Was that wrong?) [RHQ] [I know that by teaching you without pay], I made myself seem [IRO] unimportant to you. [But I did it] to honor you.
8 Andere Gemeinden habe ich beraubt und Unterstützung angenommen, damit ich euch dienen könnte.
[Some people might say that it was as though] [IRO] I was robbing other congregations because I accepted money from them in order that I might work among you.
9 Als ich bei euch war und in Not geriet, fiel ich niemand zur Last. Denn was mir mangelte, ergänzten die Brüder, die aus Mazedonien kamen. So habe ich mich peinlich gehütet, euch zur Last zu fallen, und werde mich auch ferner hüten.
Furthermore, when I was [there] with you and had no [money to buy the things that I needed], I did not cause any [of you] ([to have difficulties by my depending on you/by asking you for money/support]), because our [(inc)] fellow believers who came from [here in] Macedonia [province] brought enough [money for me to buy everything] that I needed. So I have not caused you any difficulty at all [by asking you for money], and I never will [ask you for money] [EUP].
10 So gewiß die Wahrheit Christi in mir ist: der Ruhm soll in den Gegenden Achaias mir nicht geschmälert werden.
[And] as [sure as you know that] everything that Christ says is true, [you can be sure that what] I say [to you now is true. Wherever I go] there in Achaia [province], [I do not let you believers pay me for doing God’s work among you]. And no one will be able to prevent me from boasting [about that].
11 Weshalb? Vielleicht, weil ich euch nicht liebe? Weiß Gott!
No one should wrongly [RHQ] think that it is because I do not love you that [I do not take pay from you]. God knows [that you truly/really are very dear to me].
12 Was ich jetzt tue, werde ich auch ferner tun, um denen, die einen Vorwand suchen, diesen wegzunehmen, damit sie bei ihrem Rühmen so wie wir erfunden würden.
There are [some men there among you] who would like to be able to say boastfully that they [work among you] just as I do. So, in order to make it impossible [IDM] [for them to say that], I have [refused to accept pay from you], and I will continue doing that.
13 Solche Menschen sind Lügenapostel, heimtückische Arbeiter, die sich als Apostel Christi ausgeben.
Those men are lying [when they say that they are] apostles. They work deceitfully. [Even though they say that they work for God, they are working only for themselves]. They try to make people think that Christ [sent them] as his apostles, [but they do not truly represent him].
14 Doch das ist nicht verwunderlich, verwandelt sich doch Satan selbst in einen Lichtengel.
I am not surprised [that they act like that], because Satan himself causes people to think [that he has come] as a shining messenger [from God].
15 Da ist es nichts Besonderes, wenn auch seine Diener sich als Diener der Gerechtigkeit ausgeben. Ihr Ende wird sein wie ihre Werke.
So it should not surprise [you] if these men, who [really] serve [Satan, do good things in order] to make you think they [serve God]. Some day God will [punish them] according to what they deserve because of the [evil] things that they do.
16 Ich wiederhole: Niemand halte mich für töricht. Und wenn schon, nun, so nehmt mich eben hin als einen Toren, damit auch ich mich ein wenig rühmen kann.
I say again: I do not want any of you to think that my [boasting about myself] is like foolish [people] boast. But even if anyone [thinks that I am boasting about myself like a foolish person boasts, listen to] what I [have to say anyway, just like you listen to those false apostles]. They really [speak] foolishly! Listen to me while I also boast a little.
17 Was ich in diesem Punkte des Rühmens rede, das rede ich nicht im Sinne des Herrn, sondern sozusagen nur im Unverstand.
About the things that I am [going to tell you], boasting confidently [about myself, surely you know that they are not the kind of things] that the Lord [Jesus] would say. Instead, [I will speak] as a foolish [person would speak].
18 Nachdem so viele sich dem Fleische nach rühmen, so muß auch ich mich selbst doch rühmen.
Because many among you are boasting [about their own work], as unbelievers do, I will also boast [about myself and my work] [MTY, IRO].
19 So kluge Leute wie ihr seid, ertragen ja gerne Toren.
[I am sure that you, who think that you are so wise, will accept what I say] because you gladly [accept the] false teachers and the foolish things [that they say].
20 Denn ihr ertragt es auch, wenn man euch knechtet, aussaugt, übervorteilt, sich überhebt, euch in das Antlitz schlägt.
When people [treat] you as if they were your bosses, you gladly submit [to them. You think that it is all right when others] force you to provide for their needs. You think that it is all right [when people] take control over you, when they boast about themselves, [or when they insult you by] slapping you in the face.
21 Zu meiner Schande muß ich es gestehen: In diesem Stücke sind wir schwach gewesen. Worauf nun einer pocht - ich rede im Unverstand -, darauf poche ich auch.
I agree that I was not bold enough to treat you in such ways. [Ha! Do you think that] [IRO] I should feel ashamed [because I did not do that?] So now, talking like a person who does not have any sense, I will boldly tell you [some things about myself, just like those false apostles tell you things about themselves].
22 Sie sind Hebräer? Ich auch. Israeliten sind sie? Ich auch. Abrahams Nachkommen sind sie? Ich auch.
Do [they tell you] that they are Hebrews [and can speak the Hebrew language?] Well, I can say the same thing [about myself]. Do they [tell you that they] belong [to God’s people], the nation of Israel? Well, I can say the same thing [about myself]. [Do they tell you that] they are descendants of [our great] ancestor Abraham? Well, he is my ancestor, too.
23 Und Diener Christi sind sie? - Ich rede wie ein Tor: ich noch mehr. Und dies in Mühsal ohne Zahl, in überreicher Kerkerhaft, in Mißhandlungen mehr als schwer, oft in der Gefahr des Todes.
[Do they tell you how much] work they have done for Christ? Now I am talking like a crazy person talks [EUP]. Well, I work for Christ much more [than they do. I have been] in prison many more times [than they have. Many times I] have been beaten {[people] have beaten me} very severely [because I believe in and obey Christ]. Many times I almost died [because of serving Christ].
24 Fünfmal erhielt ich von den Juden vierzig Schläge weniger einen,
On five occasions Jewish [religious leaders] beat me 39 times with a whip.
25 dreimal ward ich mit Ruten geschlagen, einmal gesteinigt, dreimal erlitt ich Schiffbruch. Eine Nacht und einen Tag trieb ich auf hoher See umher.
On three occasions I was beaten {[Roman] officials beat me} with wooden sticks. On one occasion [a large crowd of people] threw stones at me [to kill me]. On three occasions the ship [that I was traveling on] was wrecked [and sank. On one of those occasions] I was [floating] in the water a night and a day [before I was rescued].
26 Dazu eine große Zahl von Wanderungen, Gefahren durch Flüsse, Gefahren von den Räubern, Gefahren von meinem eigenen Volke, Gefahren von den Heiden, Gefahren in der Stadt, Gefahren in den Einöden, Gefahren auf dem Meere, Gefahren von falschen Brüdern.
As I have often traveled to other places, [I have often risked losing my life. For example], sometimes I have been in danger [crossing] rivers. [I have been] in danger [traveling in places] where there were bandits. [At times I have been in] danger among people of my own nation, [the Jews], and [at other times I been in] danger among those who are not Jews. [I have been] in danger in cities, and I have been in dangerous situations in barren areas. I have been in dangerous situations [when I was traveling in ships]. [I have been in] danger among people who falsely [claim to be] fellow believers.
27 Mühsale und Beschwerden, viele Nachtwachen. Hunger und Durst, vieles Fasten, in Kälte und in Blöße.
I have worked very hard [DOU] [to earn] ([a living/what I need]), and often I did not sleep. At times I was hungry and thirsty, and at times I did not have enough time to eat. Sometimes I was cold [because] I did not have enough clothes [to wear].
28 Ganz abgesehen von weniger Wichtigem: der tägliche Besuchsandrang bei mir, die Sorge um alle Gemeinden.
In addition to all that, I am constantly and deeply concerned about all the congregations [that I have helped to begin].
29 Wo ist einer schwach und ich nicht auch? Wo wird einer zur Sünde verleitet, und mir geht es nicht brennend nahe?
[Every time that I hear about fellow believers] [RHQ] who are not strong [spiritually], I sympathize with them [and try to help them. Every time that I learn about a fellow believer] [RHQ] who causes [another believer] to do something wrong, that makes me very angry.
30 Wenn doch gerühmt sein muß, so will ich mich auch meiner schwachen Seiten rühmen.
Because [it seems that] it is necessary for me to [continue] boasting [about myself], I will boast about things that [caused some people to think of me] as being weak.
31 Der Gott und Vater des Herrn Jesus - in Ewigkeit sei er gepriesen! - weiß, daß ich nicht lüge: (aiōn g165)
God, who is the Father of our [(inc)] Lord Jesus, and who is the one [whom we should] praise forever, knows that I am not lying [about this]. (aiōn g165)
32 Der Statthalter des Königs Aretas zu Damaskus ließ die Stadt der Damaszener scharf bewachen, er wollte mich gefangennehmen.
[One time when I was] in Damascus [city], the governor whom King Aretas [had appointed] to rule [part of his area, told his soldiers] to guard [the gates of] the city so that they could seize me [if I tried to leave the city].
33 Da wurde ich in einem Korbe durch ein Fenster an der Mauer hinabgelassen, und so entkam ich seinen Händen.
But [my friends] helped me to escape [by] putting me in a large basket and lowering me [to the ground by a rope] through an opening in the [city] wall. [That was really humiliating]!
