2 Corinthians 11
1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.
O that ye tolerated a little of my foolishness, but tolerate me too.
2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
For I am jealous for you with a jealousy of God. For I betrothed you to one husband, a pure virgin to present to the Christ.
3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent enticed Eve by his craftiness, so your thoughts might be corrupted from the simplicity in the Christ.
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news” which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough.
For indeed if a man who comes, preaches another Jesus whom we did not preach, or ye receive another spirit that ye did not receive, or another good news that ye did not accept, ye well tolerated it.
5 For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.
For I reckon to come short in nothing of those, superlative apostles.
6 But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.
But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything made known in all things to you.
7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?
Or did I commit a sin lowering myself so that ye might be lifted up, because I preached to you the good news of God freely?
8 I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.
I robbed other congregations, having taken a wage in order for your service.
9 When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.
And being present with you, and when needy, I was a burden to no man. For the brothers who came from Macedonia, they supplied my need. And in everything I kept and I will keep myself non-burdensome to you.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
The truth of Christ is in me that this pride in me will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.
Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.
12 But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity, that in which they boast, they may be recognized just like us.
But what I do, I also will do, so that I may cut off the opportunity of those who desire an opportunity, that in what they boast, they might appear just as we also.
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
And no marvel, for even Satan disguises himself into an agent of light.
15 It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
Therefore, it is no great thing if his helpers also disguise themselves as helpers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
16 I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.
I say again, let not any man think me to be foolish, but if otherwise-even if as foolish-accept me, so that I also may boast some a little.
17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of the boast.
18 Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.
Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.
19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.
For being wise, ye gladly tolerate the foolish.
20 For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face.
For ye tolerate it if some man enslaves you, if some man devours you, if some man seizes you, if some man lifts himself up, if some man strikes you on the face.
21 To my shame, I speak as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.
I speak as from shame, that we were so weak. Yet in whatever any man may be bold in foolishness, I say I too am bold.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.
Are they Hebrews? I too. Are they Israelites? I too. Are they a seed of Abraham? I too.
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often.
Are they helpers of Christ? (I speak as being mad) I more: in toils, more abundantly; in stripes, countless; in prisons, more frequently; in deaths often.
24 Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.
From the Jews five times I received forty save one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.
Thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I was shipwrecked, I have done a night and a day in the depth,
26 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;
in frequent journeys, in perils of flowing waters, in perils of bandits, in perils from my race, in perils from Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils at sea, in perils among false brothers,
27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.
in toil and hardship, in frequent sleeplessness, in hunger and thirst, in frequent fasts, in cold and nakedness.
28 Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies.
Besides the external things, crowding upon me daily is the care of all the congregations.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I am not made fiery?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.
If it is necessary to boast, I will boast of the things of my weakness.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. (aiōn g165)
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed into the ages, knows that I do not lie. (aiōn g165)
32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me.
In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes wanting to apprehend me.
33 I was let down in a basket through a window by the wall, and escaped his hands.
And I was lowered in a hamper through a window through the wall, and escaped his hands.
