2 Corinthians 11
1 I could wish that you would tolerate a little folly in me! But indeed you do tolerate me.
Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness: but indeed ye do bear with me.
2 I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God. For I betrothed you to one husband, that I might present you to the Christ a pure bride.
For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you [as] a pure virgin to Christ.
3 Yet I fear that it may turn out that, just as the Serpent by his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may have lost the loyalty and purity due from you to the Christ.
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.
4 For, if some new-comer is proclaiming a Jesus other than him whom we proclaimed, or if you are receiving a Spirit different from the Spirit which you received, or a Good News different from that which you welcomed, then you are marvellously tolerant!
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or [if] ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with [him].
5 I do not regard myself as in any way inferior to the most eminent Apostles!
For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
6 Though I am no trained orator, yet I am not without knowledge; indeed we made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
But though [I be] rude in speech, yet [am I] not in knowledge; nay, in every way have we made [this] manifest unto you in all things.
7 Perhaps you say that I did wrong in humbling myself that you might be exalted — I mean because I told you God’s Good News without payment.
Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought?
8 I robbed other churches by taking pay from them, so that I might serve you!
I robbed other churches, taking wages [of them] that I might minister unto you;
9 And, when I was with you in need, I did not become a burden to any of you; for our Brothers, on coming from Macedonia, supplied my needs. I kept myself, and will keep myself from being an expense to you in any way.
and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and [so] will I keep [myself].
10 As surely as I know anything of the Truth of Christ, this boast, as far as I am concerned, shall not be stopped in any part of Greece.
As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12 What I am doing now I shall continue to do, that I may cut away the ground from under those who are wishing for some ground for attacking me, so that as regards the thing of which they boast they may appear in their true characters, just as we do.
But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 Men of this stamp are false apostles, treacherous workers, disguising themselves as Apostles of Christ!
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder; for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of Light.
And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.
15 It is not surprising, therefore, if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of Righteousness. But their end will be in accordance with their actions.
It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16 I say again — Let no one think me a fool! Yet, if you do, at least welcome me as you would a fool, that I, too may indulge in a little boasting.
I say again, Let no man think me foolish; but if [ye do], yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory a little.
17 When I speak thus, I am not speaking as the Master would, but as a fool might, in boasting so confidently.
That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.
18 As so many are boasting of earthly things, I, too, will boast.
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19 For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough!
For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise [yourselves].
20 You tolerate a man even when he enslaves you, when he plunders you, when he gets you into his power, when he puts on airs of superiority, when he strikes you in the face!
For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you [captive], if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face.
21 I admit, to my shame, that we have been weak. But whatever the subject on which others are not afraid to boast — though it is foolish to say so — I am not afraid either!
I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I! Are they Israelites? So am I! Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I!
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they ‘Servants of Christ’? Though it is madness to talk like this, I am more so than they! I have had more of toil, more of imprisonment! I have been flogged times without number. I have been often at death’s door.
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.
24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes, all but one.
Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a whole day and night in the deep.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep;
26 My journeys have been many. I have been through dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in towns, dangers in the country, dangers on the sea, dangers among false Brothers.
[in] journeyings often, [in] perils of rivers, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils from [my] countrymen, [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 I have been through toil and hardship. I have passed many a sleepless night; I have endured hunger and thirst; I have often been without food; I have known cold and nakedness.
[in] labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 And, not to speak of other things, there is my daily burden of anxiety about all the Churches.
Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches.
29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led astray without my burning with indignation?
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of things which show my weakness!
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus — he who is for ever blessed — knows that I am speaking the truth. (aiōn g165)
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not. (aiōn g165)
32 When I was in Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas had the gates of that city guarded, so as to arrest me,
In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me:
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
and through a window was I let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.
