2 Corinthians 11

1 Put up with me if I am a little foolish: but, truly, you do put up with me.

Would to God you could bear with some little of my folly: but do bear with me.

2 For I have a very great care for you: because you have been married by me to one husband, and it is my desire to give you completely holy to Christ.

For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3 But I have a fear, that in some way, as Eve was tricked by the deceit of the snake, your minds may be turned away from their simple and holy love for Christ.

But I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted, and fall from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 For if anyone comes preaching another Jesus from the one whose preachers we are, or if you have got a different spirit, or a different sort of good news from those which came to you, how well you put up with these things.

For if he that cometh preacheth another Christ, whom we have not preached; or if you receive another Spirit, whom you have not received; or another gospel which you have not received; you might well bear with him.

5 For in my opinion, I am in no way less than the most important of the Apostles.

For I suppose that I have done nothing less than the great apostles.

6 But though I am rough in my way of talking, I am not so in knowledge, as we have made clear to all by our acts among you.

For although I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but in all things we have been made manifest to you.

7 Or did I do wrong in making myself low so that you might be lifted up, because I gave you the good news of God without reward?

Or did I commit a fault, humbling myself, that you might be exalted? Because I preached unto you the gospel of God freely?

8 I took money from other churches as payment for my work, so that I might be your servant;

I have taken from other churches, receiving wages of them for your ministry.

9 And when I was present with you, and was in need, I let no man be responsible for me; for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, gave me whatever was needed; and in everything I kept myself from being a trouble to you, and I will go on doing so.

And, when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was wanting to me, the brethren supplied who came from Macedonia; and in all things I have kept myself from being burthensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

10 As the true word of Christ is in me, I will let no man take from me this my cause of pride in the country of Achaia.

The truth of Christ is in me, that this glorying shall not be broken off in me in the regions of Achaia.

11 Why? because I have no love for you? let God be judge.

Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth it.

12 But what I do, that I will go on doing, so that I may give no chance to those who are looking for one; so that, in the cause of their pride, they may be seen to be the same as we are.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off the occasion from them that desire occasion, that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

13 For such men are false Apostles, workers of deceit, making themselves seem like Apostles of Christ.

For such false apostles are deceitful workmen, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 And it is no wonder; for even Satan himself is able to take the form of an angel of light.

And no wonder: for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light.

15 So it is no great thing if his servants make themselves seem to be servants of righteousness; whose end will be the reward of their works.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers be transformed as the ministers of justice, whose end shall be according to their works.

16 I say again, Let me not seem foolish to anyone; but if I do, put up with me as such, so that I may take a little glory to myself.

I say again, (let no man think me to be foolish, otherwise take me as one foolish, that I also may glory a little.)

17 What I am now saying is not by the order of the Lord, but as a foolish person, taking credit to myself, as it seems.

That which I speak, I speak not according to God, but as it were in foolishness, in this matter of glorying.

18 Seeing that there are those who take credit to themselves after the flesh, I will do the same.

Seeing that many glory according to the flesh, I will glory also.

19 For you put up with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.

For you gladly suffer the foolish; whereas yourselves are wise.

20 You put up with a man if he makes servants of you, if he makes profit out of you, if he makes you prisoners, if he puts himself in a high place, if he gives you blows on the face.

For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face.

21 I say this by way of shaming ourselves, as if we had been feeble. But if anyone puts himself forward (I am talking like a foolish person), I will do the same.

I speak according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also.

22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they of Israel? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I.

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking foolishly) I am more so; I have had more experience of hard work, of prisons, of blows more than measure, of death.

They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise). I am more; in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.

24 Five times the Jews gave me forty blows but one.

Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes, save one.

25 Three times I was whipped with rods, once I was stoned, three times the ship I was in came to destruction at sea, a night and a day I have been in the water;

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea.

26 In frequent travels, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from outlaws, in dangers from my countrymen, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the town, in dangers in the waste land, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers;

In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren.

27 In hard work and weariness, in frequent watchings, going without food and drink, cold and in need of clothing.

In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 In addition to all the other things, there is that which comes on me every day, the care of all the churches.

Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches.

29 Who is feeble and I am not feeble? who is in danger of falling, and I am not angry?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire?

30 If I have to take credit to myself, I will do so in the things in which I am feeble.

If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity.

31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever, is witness that the things which I say are true. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus, the ruler under Aretas the king kept watch over the town of the people of Damascus, in order to take me:

At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me.

33 And being let down in a basket from the wall through a window, I got free from his hands.

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