2 Corinthians 10

1 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 bold toward you.

I, Paul, myself appeal to you, by the humility and gentleness of Christ. I am meek when I am in your presence, but I am bold toward you when I am away.

2 Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

I beg of you that, when I am present with you, I will not need to be bold with self-confidence. But I think I will need to be bold when I oppose those who assume that we are living according to the flesh.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh;

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

4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

For the weapons we fight with are not fleshly. Instead, they have divine power to destroy strongholds. They bring to nothing misleading arguments.

5 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,

We also destroy every high thing that rises up against the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive into obedience to Christ.

6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made full.

And we are getting ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.

7 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 we also are Christ’s.

Look at what is clearly in front of you. If anyone is convinced that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.

8 For even if I boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for casting you down, I will not be ashamed,

For even if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave for us to build you up and not to destroy you, I will not be ashamed.

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

I do not want it to appear that I am terrifying you by my letters.

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

For some people say, “His letters are serious and powerful, but physically he is weak. His words are not worth listening to.”

11 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.

Let such people be aware that what we are in the words of our letters when we are absent is what we will be in our actions when we are there.

12 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.

We do not go so far as to group ourselves or compare ourselves with those who praise themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with each other, they have no insight.

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

We, however, will not boast beyond limits. Instead, we will do so only within the limits of what God has assigned to us, limits that reach as far as you.

14 For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,

For we did not overextend ourselves when we reached you. We were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel of Christ.

15 not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

We have not boasted beyond limits about the labors of others. Instead, we expect that as your faith continues to grow, our work among you will greatly expand.

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

We hope for this, so that we may preach the gospel even in regions beyond you. We will not boast about the work being done in another's area.

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

“But let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

18 For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

For it is not the one who recommends himself who is approved. Instead, it is the one whom the Lord recommends.