2 Corinthians 11

1 I WISH ye would bear with me a little in my foolishness, yea indeed bear with me.

I wish that you could put up with me in some foolishness. But you are indeed putting up with me!

2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ.

For I am jealous about you. I have a godly jealousy for you, since I promised you in marriage to one husband. I promised to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

3 But I fear lest as the serpent beguiled Eve by his craftiness, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which belongs to Christ.

But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your thoughts might be led astray away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

4 For if he indeed that cometh preach another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not embraced, ye might well bear with him.

For suppose that someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we preached. Or suppose that you receive a different spirit than what you received. Or suppose that you receive a different gospel than the one you received. You put up with these things well enough!

5 For I reckon myself to be nothing inferior to the very chief of the apostles.

For I think that I am not in the least inferior to those so-called super-apostles.

6 For though I may be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but on every occasion we have been made manifest in all things among you.

But even if I am untrained in giving speeches, I am not untrained in knowledge. In every way and in all things we have made this known to you.

7 Am I chargeable with a fault (humbling myself that you might be exalted), that I preached to you the gospel of God freely?

Did I sin by humbling myself so you might be exalted? For I freely preached the gospel of God to you.

8 I plundered other churches, receiving a provision from them, in order to minister to you.

I robbed other churches by accepting support from them so that I could serve you.

9 And when I was with you, and in want, I was burdensome to no man; for my want the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied; and on every occasion I have kept myself from being burdensome, and will keep myself.

When I was with you and I was in need, I did not burden anyone. For my needs were met by the brothers who came from Macedonia. In everything I have kept myself from being a burden to you, and I will continue to do that.

10 I protest, by the truth of Christ in me, that from this boasting no man shall seal up my lips in the regions of Achaia.

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

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

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

12 But what I do, I will do also, that I may cut off occasion from those who desire occasion, that wherein they boast, they may be found even as we.

And what I do I will keep doing, in order that I may take away the claim for criticizing me and the claim for which they want to boast—that they are found to be doing the same work that we are doing.

13 For such are fake apostles, deceitful labourers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

For such people are false apostles and deceitful workers. They disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel! For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

And this is no surprise, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

15 It is no wonder therefore if his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness; whose end will be according to their works.

It is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their fate will be what their deeds deserve.

16 I repeat it again, Let no man suppose that I am a fool; but if otherwise, then as a fool receive me, that I too may boast myself a little.

I say again: Let no one think I am a fool. But if you do, receive me as a fool so I may boast a little.

17 What I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as it were in folly in this confidence of boasting.

What I am saying with this boastful confidence—I am not talking the way the Lord would—I am saying as a fool.

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

Since many people boast according to the flesh, I will also boast.

19 For ye bear with fools easily when you are wise yourselves.

For you gladly put up with fools. You are wise yourselves!

20 For ye bear if a man enslave you, if a man eat you up, if a man receive from you, if a man is insolent, if a man smite you on the face.

For you put up with someone if he enslaves you, if he consumes you, if he takes advantage of you, if he considers himself better than you, or if he slaps you in the face.

21 I speak with reference to the reproach cast on me, as though we were feeble; but wherein any man is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

I will say to our shame that we were too weak to do that. Yet if anyone boasts—I am speaking like a fool—I too will boast.

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

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

23 Are they the ministers of Christ? (I speak foolishly) I am above them: in labours more abundantly, in stripes exceedingly more, in prisons more frequently, in the most immediate danger of death often.

Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as though I were out of my mind.) I am more. I have been in even more hard work, in far more prisons, in beatings beyond measure, in facing many dangers of death.

24 Of the Jews five times I have received forty stripes save one.

From Jews I received five times the “forty lashes minus one.”

25 Thrice I have been scourged with rods, once I have been stoned, thrice I have suffered shipwreck, a whole night and day I have passed in the deep;

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

26 in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own countrymen, in perils from the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils on the sea, in perils among false brethren;

I have been on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own people, in danger from the Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger at sea, in danger from false brothers.

27 in labour and travail, in watchings often, in fastings frequently, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness;

I have been at hard work and in hardship, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness.

28 and beside all these things from without, that accumulated burden which cometh on me daily, the care of all the churches.

Apart from everything else, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

29 Who is feeble, and am I not feeble? Who is offended, and am I not on fire?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who has been caused to stumble, and I do not burn?

30 If I must glory, I will glory in the things which respect my infirmities.

If I must boast, I will boast about what shows my weaknesses.

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

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, the one who is praised forever, knows that I am not lying! (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, intending to seize me;

At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus to arrest me.

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

But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall, and I escaped from his hands.