2 Corinthians 10

1 Moreover, I, Paul, myself, exhort you, through the meekness and considerateness of the Christ, —I who, to look upon, indeed, am lowly toward you, but, absent, am bold towards you; —

Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who indeed am lowly in presence among you, but am bold toward you when absent.

2 I entreat, however, that, when present, I may not be bold with the assurance wherewith I think to be daring against some who account of us as though, according to flesh, we were walking, —

But I pray not to be bold when present with the confidence by which I consider to be valiant toward some who consider us as walking according to flesh.

3 For, though, in flesh, we walk, not, according to flesh, do we war, —

For though walking in flesh, we do not war according to flesh.

4 For, the weapons of our warfare, are not fleshly, but mighty, by God, unto a pulling down of strongholds, —

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for the demolition of strongholds,

5 When we pull down, calculations, and every height that uplifteth itself against the knowledge of God, and when we bring into captivity every thought unto the obedience of the Christ,

casting down imaginations, and every high thing exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought captive into the obedience of the Christ,

6 And when we hold ourselves, in readiness, to avenge all disobedience, as soon as your obedience shall be fulfilled!

and having in readiness to avenge every disobedience, whenever your obedience is fulfilled.

7 The things that lie on the surface, ye are looking at: —if anyone hath come to trust in himself that he is, Christ’s, this, let him reckon, again, with himself—that, even as, he, is Christ’s, so, also are, we.

Do ye look at things according to appearance. If any man has convinced himself to be of Christ, let him consider this again of himself, that, as he is of Christ, so also are we of Christ.

8 Yea, if, somewhat more abundantly, I should boast concerning our authority—which the Lord hath given for building up and not for pulling you down, I shall not be put to shame, —

For even if I also should boast somewhat more abundantly about our authority (which the Lord gave us for building up and not for tearing you down), I will not be shamed,

9 That I may not seem as though I would be terrifying you through means of my letters;

so that I would not seem as if to terrify you by the letters.

10 Because, The letters, it is true (saith one), are weighty and strong, but, the presence of the body, is weak, and, the discourse, contemptible; —

Because, The letters, he says, are indeed weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is disdained.

11 This, let such a one reckon—that, what we are, in our word, through means of letters, being absent, such, also, being present, are we, in our deed.

Let such a man think this, that such kind we are in word by letters when absent, we are also such kind when present in the work.

12 For we dare not class or compare ourselves with some who do, themselves, commend; but, they, among themselves, measuring, themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without discernment!

For we dare not classify or compare ourselves to some of those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves to themselves, do not understand.

13 We, however, not as to the things without measure, will boast ourselves, but, according to the measure of the limit which God apportioned unto us, as a measure—to reach as far as even you!

But we will not boast in things immeasurable, but according to the measure of the standard that God apportioned to us, of a measure to reach even as far as you.

14 For, not as though we were not reaching unto you, are we over-stretching ourselves, for, as far as even you, were we beforehand in the glad-message of the Christ:

For it is not as not reaching for you. We overextend ourselves. For we even reached as far as you in the good news of the Christ,

15 Not, as to the things without measure, boasting ourselves in other men’s toils, but having, hope—your faith, growing—among you, to be enlarged, according to our limit for something beyond, —

not boasting in things immeasurable, in other men's labors, but having hope of your faith growing in you to be enlarged according to our measure for abundance,

16 Unto the regions beyond you, to carry the glad-message: not, within another man’s limit, as to the things made ready, to boast ourselves.

in order to preach the good news beyond you, not to boast in another measure, in things prepared.

17 He that boasteth, however, in the Lord, let him boast;

But he who boasts should boast in the Lord.

18 For, not he that commendeth himself, he, is approved, but he whom, the Lord, doth commend.

For he who commends himself, that man is not approved, but whom the Lord commends.