< 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, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:
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, —
yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
3 For, though, in flesh, we walk, not, according to flesh, do we war, —
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the 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 of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down 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 that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
6 And when we hold ourselves, in readiness, to avenge all disobedience, as soon as your obedience shall be fulfilled!
and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.
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.
Ye look at the things that are before your face. If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also are we.
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 though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down), I shall not be put to shame:
9 That I may not seem as though I would be terrifying you through means of my letters;
that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by my 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; —
For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.
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 one reckon this, that, what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such [are we] also in deed when we are present.
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 are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves: but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.
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 glory beyond [our] measure, but according to the measure of the province which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto 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 we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as though we reached not unto you: for we came even as far as unto you in the gospel of 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 glorying beyond [our] measure, [that is], in other men’s labors; but having hope that, as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our province unto [further] 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.
so as to preach the gospel even unto the parts beyond you, [and] not to glory in another’s province in regard of things ready to our hand.
17 He that boasteth, however, in the Lord, let him boast;
But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
18 For, not he that commendeth himself, he, is approved, but he whom, the Lord, doth commend.
For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

< 2 Corinthians 10 >