2 Corinthians 11

1 Would that ye would bear with me [in] a little folly; but indeed bear with me.

I would that ye could bear with me a little, that I might talk foolishly: and indeed, bear ye with me.

2 For I am jealous as to you with a jealousy [which is] of God; for I have espoused you unto one man, to present [you] a chaste virgin to Christ.

For I am jealous over you, with a godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to a husband as a chaste virgin, whom I would present to the Messiah.

3 But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craft, [so] your thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to the Christ.

But I fear, lest, as the serpent beguiled Eve by his craftiness, so your minds should be corrupted from simplicity towards the Messiah.

4 For if indeed he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye get a different Spirit, which ye have not got, or a different glad tidings, which ye have not received, ye might well bear with [it].

For if he that cometh to you, had proclaimed to you another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed; or if ye had received another Spirit, which ye have not received; or another gospel, which ye have not accepted; ye might well have given assent.

5 For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles.

For, I suppose, I came not short of those legates who most excel.

6 But if [I am] a simple person in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything making [the truth] manifest in all things to you.

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

7 Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that ye might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings of God?

Did I indeed commit an offence, by humbling myself that ye might be exalted? and by proclaiming the gospel of God to you gratis?

8 I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you.

And I robbed other churches, and I took pay of them for ministering to you.

9 And being present with you and lacking, I did not lazily burden any one, (for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what I lacked, ) and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep myself.

And when I came among you and was needy, I was burdensome to none of you; for the brethren who came from Macedonia, supplied my wants: and in all things I kept myself, and I will keep myself, from being burdensome to you.

10 [The] truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to me in the regions of Achaia.

As the truth of the Messiah is in me, this glorying shall not be made vain as to me in the regions of Achaia.

11 Why? because I do not love you? God knows.

Why? Because I do not love you? God knoweth.

12 But what I do, I will also do, that I may cut off the opportunity of those wishing [for] an opportunity, that wherein they boast they may be found even as we.

But what I do, that also I will do; that I may cut off occasion, from them who seek occasion: so that in the thing wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

For they are false legates, crafty workers, and feign themselves to be legates of the Messiah.

14 And [it is] not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

And in this there is nothing strange. For if Satan feigneth himself an angel of light,

15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

it is no great thing if his ministers feign themselves ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

16 Again I say, Let not any one think me to be a fool; but if otherwise, receive me then even as a fool, that I also may boast myself some little.

Again I say, let no one think of me, as being a fool: or if otherwise, receive me as a fool, that I may glory a little.

17 What I speak I do not speak according to [the] Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting.

What I am now saying, I say not in our Lord, but as in folly, in this matter of glorying.

18 Since many boast according to flesh, I also will boast.

Because many glory after the flesh, I also will glory.

19 For ye bear fools readily, being wise.

For ye hear with indulgence them who lack reason, seeing ye are wise.

20 For ye bear if any one bring you into bondage, if any one devour [you], if any one get [your money], if any one exalt himself, if any one beat you on the face.

And ye give ear to him, who putteth you in bondage; and to him, who devoureth you; and to him, who taketh from you; and to him, who exalteth himself over you; and to him, who smiteth you in the face.

21 I speak as to dishonour, as though we had been weak; but wherein any one is daring, (I speak in folly, ) I also am daring.

I speak as if under contempt: I speak as if we were impotent, through deficiency of understanding; that in whatever thing any one is presuming, I also am presuming.

22 Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they seed of Abraham? I also.

If they are Hebrews, so I also: or if they are Israelites, I also. If they are the seed of Abraham, I also.

23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as being beside myself) I above measure [so]; in labours exceedingly abundant, in stripes to excess, in prisons exceedingly abundant, in deaths oft.

If they are ministers of the Messiah, (in defect of understanding, I say it, ) I am superior to them: in toils more than they, in stripes more than they, in bonds more than they, in deaths many times.

24 From the Jews five times have I received forty [stripes], save one.

By the Jews, five times was I scourged, each time with forty stripes save one.

25 Thrice have I been scourged, once I have been stoned, three times I have suffered shipwreck, a night and day I passed in the deep:

Three times was I beaten with rods: at one time I was stoned: three times I was in shipwreck, by day and by night; I have been in the sea, without a ship.

26 in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from [my own] race, in perils from [the] nations, in perils in [the] city, in perils in [the] desert, in perils on [the] sea, in perils among false brethren;

In journeyings many, in peril by rivers, in peril by robbers, in peril from my kindred, in peril from Gentiles: I have been in peril in cities; I have been in peril in the desert, in peril in the sea, in peril from false brethren.

27 in labour and toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

In toil and weariness, in much watching, in hunger and thirst, in much fasting, in cold and nakedness:

28 Besides those things that are without, the crowd [of cares] pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies.

besides many other things, and the thronging around me every day, and my anxiety for all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I burn not?

Who becometh weak, and I become not weak? Who is stumbled, and I burn not?

30 If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

If I must glory, I will glory in my infirmities.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows — he who is blessed for ever — that I do not lie. (aiōn g165)

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, blessed for ever and ever, he knoweth that I lie not. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me;

At Damascus, the commander of the army of Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to seize me.

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

And from a window, in a basket, they let me down from the wall, and I escaped from his hands.