2 Corinthians 11

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

O that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also do bear with me:

2 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.

for I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ,

3 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.

and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that [is] in the Christ;

4 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.

for if, indeed, he who is coming doth preach another Jesus whom we did not preach, or another Spirit ye receive which ye did not receive, or other good news which ye did not accept — well were ye bearing [it],

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

for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,

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

and even if unlearned in word — yet not in knowledge, but in every thing we were made manifest in all things to you.

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

The sin did I do — myself humbling that ye might be exalted, because freely the good news of God I did proclaim to you?

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

other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;

9 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.

and being present with you, and having been in want, I was chargeable to no one, for my lack did the brethren supply — having come from Macedonia — and in everything burdenless to you I did keep myself, and will keep.

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

The truth of Christ is in me, because this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia;

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

wherefore? because I do not love you? God hath known!

12 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.

and what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those wishing an occasion, that in that which they boast they may be found according as we also;

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

for those such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,

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

and no wonder — for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger of light;

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

no great thing, then, if also his ministrants do transform themselves as ministrants of righteousness — whose end shall be according to their works.

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

Again I say, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, even as a fool receive me, that I also a little may boast.

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

That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;

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

since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:

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

for gladly do ye bear with the fools — being wise,

20 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.

for ye bear, if any one is bringing you under bondage, if any one doth devour, if any one doth take away, if any one doth exalt himself, if any one on the face doth smite you;

21 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.

in reference to dishonour I speak, how that we were weak, and in whatever any one is bold — in foolishness I say [it] — I also am bold.

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

Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!

23 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.

ministrants of Christ are they? — as beside myself I speak — I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times;

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

from Jews five times forty [stripes] save one I did receive;

25 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.

thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep I have passed;

26 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.

journeyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brethren;

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

in labouriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness;

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

apart from the things without — the crowding upon me that is daily — the care of all the assemblies.

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

Who is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;

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

if to boast it behoveth [me], of the things of my infirmity I will boast;

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

the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ — who is blessed to the ages — hath known that I do not lie! — (aiōn g165)

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

In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,

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

and through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.