2 Corinthians 10

1 Now I, Paul, am myself appealing to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (I who am ‘humble when present’ among you, but ‘bold when absent’ toward you).

Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you.

2 Yes, I beg you, that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence that I will ‘dare’ to visit upon some who think that we are walking in a fleshly manner.

But I implore you that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence with which I intend on showing against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

3 Well, we do walk about in flesh, but we do not wage war that way,

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh;

4 because the weapons of our warfare are not physical, but are powerful in God for demolishing strongholds:

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty in God for the tearing down of strongholds,

5 demolishing sophistries and every arrogance that sets itself up against the knowledge of God; taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ;

throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;

6 being ready to punish every act of disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.

7 Do you only look at the ‘face’ of things? If anyone has persuaded himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also we are Christ's.

Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ's, so also we are Christ's.

8 Now even if I boast a little to excess about our authority (which the Lord gave us for building up, not to tear you down), I will not act ashamed,

For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed,

9 so as not to appear to agree that it is only with letters that I ‘terrify’ you.

that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

10 Because some say, “His letters are ‘heavy’ and forceful, but his physical presence is weak, and his speech can be disdained.”

For, "His letters," they say, "are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised."

11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters while absent is just what we will be in action when present.

Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

12 Now we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will stay within the boundaries that God assigned to us, a field that includes you.

But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.

14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we had not reached you, because we did indeed get to you with the Gospel of Christ;

For we do not stretch ourselves too much, as though we did not reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,

15 nor do we boast ‘off limits’ in the labors of others, but we have hope that as your faith grows our boundaries will be greatly expanded through you,

not boasting excessively in the work done by others, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

16 so as to evangelize the regions beyond you (not to boast in work already done in someone else's field).

so as to preach the Good News even to the regions beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.

17 “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

But "he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."

18 Because it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.