2 Corinthians 11

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

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 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 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 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 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 in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles.

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

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.

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 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 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 spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you.

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

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 [The] truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to me 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 do not love you? God knows.

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

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

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

14 And [it is] not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into 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 ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall 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 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.

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 What I speak I do not speak according to [the] Lord, but as in folly, 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 Since many boast according to flesh, I also will boast.

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

19 For ye bear fools readily, being wise.

For you gladly bear with fools since you are so 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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus 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 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 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;

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 labour and toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, 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 without, the crowd [of cares] pressing on me daily, the burden of 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 stumbled, and I burn not?

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

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

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

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows — he who is blessed for ever — that I do not 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 ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me;

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

33 and through a window in a basket I was let down 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.