2 Corinthians 11

1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.

If only you would bear with me for a bit in my foolishness! Yes, do bear with me!

2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds will be led astray from simple devotion to Christ.

4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news” which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough.

For if someone comes to you and preaches a different message about Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you bear with it well enough.

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

For I consider myself to be in no way inferior to these “super-apostles.”

6 But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.

I may be untrained in speech, but I do not lack knowledge; indeed, in every way we have been made known to you in everything.

7 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?

Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

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

I “robbed” other churches by receiving support from them in order to serve you!

9 When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t 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.

When I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

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

As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.

11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.

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

12 But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity, that in which they boast, they may be recognized just like us.

But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may deny any opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about.

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.

For such men are false apostles and deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

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

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

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

Therefore it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.

16 I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.

I repeat: Let no one consider me to be a fool. But if you do, receive me just as you would a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

What I say in this confidence of boasting, I am not saying in accordance with the Lord, but as a fool.

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

Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.

19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

For you gladly bear with fools since you are so wise!

20 For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face.

You bear with it if anyone enslaves you, devours you, takes advantage of you, exalts himself, or hits you in the face.

21 To my shame, I speak as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking like a fool—I also dare to boast about.

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.

23 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, and in deaths often.

Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so, with far more labors, with beatings beyond measure, with far more imprisonments, and often facing death.

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

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

25 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.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I spent in the open sea.

26 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;

I have often been on journeys, exposed to dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers.

27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

I have endured labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, and hunger and thirst. I have often gone without food and have been cold due to a lack of sufficient clothing.

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

Apart from these external things, there is my daily burden: my concern for all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?

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

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

If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show my weakness.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me.

In Damascus the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes, wanting to arrest me,

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

but I was let down in a basket through a window in the city wall and escaped from his hands.