2 Corinthians 11

1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.

Would that ye would bear with me [in] a little folly; but indeed bear with me.

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 as to you with a jealousy [which is] of God; for I have espoused you unto one man, to present [you] a chaste virgin to 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 by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craft, [so] your thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to 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 if indeed he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye get a different Spirit, which ye have not got, or a different glad tidings, which ye have not received, ye might well bear with [it].

5 For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.

For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree 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 if [I am] a simple person in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything making [the truth] manifest 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?

Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that ye might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings of God?

8 I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.

I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you.

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 lacking, I did not lazily burden any one, (for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what I lacked, ) and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep myself.

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 boasting shall not be stopped as to me 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 will also do, that I may cut off the opportunity of those wishing [for] an opportunity, that wherein they boast they may be found even as we.

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.

For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.

And [it is] not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel 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.

It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall 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.

Again I say, Let not any one think me to be a fool; but if otherwise, receive me then even as a fool, that I also may boast myself some 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 do not speak according to [the] Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting.

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

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

19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

For ye bear fools readily, being wise.

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 bear if any one bring you into bondage, if any one devour [you], if any one get [your money], if any one exalt himself, if any one beat 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 to dishonour, as though we had been weak; but wherein any one is daring, (I speak in folly, ) I also am daring.

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 also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they seed of Abraham? I also.

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 ministers of Christ? (I speak as being beside myself) I above measure [so]; in labours exceedingly abundant, in stripes to excess, in prisons exceedingly abundant, in deaths oft.

24 Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.

From the Jews five times have I received forty [stripes], 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 have I been scourged, once I have been stoned, three times I have suffered shipwreck, a night and day I passed in the deep:

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 journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from [my own] race, in perils from [the] nations, in perils in [the] city, in perils in [the] desert, in perils on [the] sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

in labour and toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, 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 those things that are without, the crowd [of cares] pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies.

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 stumbled, and I burn not?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.

If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

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 knows — he who is blessed for ever — 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 ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me;

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

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