2 Corinthians 11

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

I could wish that you would put up with a little of my foolishness, but indeed you already are.

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 over you with a godly jealousy, because I betrothed you to one man to present you to Christ as a pure virgin.

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 am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted from the integrity that is in 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 someone comes and preaches another ‘Jesus’ whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you easily put up with it.

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

Now I consider that I am not at all inferior to the very best 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.

Though I may not be a trained speaker, I do have knowledge—but we have been fully manifested to you in all things.

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 in humbling self so that you might be exalted, in that I proclaimed God's Gospel to you free of charge?

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

I ‘robbed’ other congregations, receiving support from them so as to serve 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 when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone; because the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. Yes, I kept myself from being a burden to you in anything, and will keep on.

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: this boasting will not be silenced in 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.

Further, I will keep on doing what I do in order to cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things of which they boast.

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

Such men are really false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into ‘apostles’ of Christ.

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

And no wonder, because Satan himself masquerades as 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.

So it is no great thing if his servants also masquerade as ministers 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.

Again I say, let no one think me a fool. But should anyone do so, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little bit.

17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

What I am going to say I do not say according to the Lord, but as though foolishly, in this confident boasting.

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

Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I will too

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

(for you put up with fools gladly, being so wise yourselves!).

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.

In fact, you even put up with someone who enslaves you, who ‘devours’ you, who takes advantage, who exalts himself, who beats on your 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.

Is it disrespectful to say that we were ‘weak’? In whatever anyone is bold (I speak foolishly), I am bold also.

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

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'm being irrational) I am more: in labors more abundantly, in beatings beyond count, in prison more frequently, in ‘deaths’ often—

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

five times from the Jews I received the ‘forty lashes minus 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.

three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked (I spent twenty-four hours in the open sea)—

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 danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in cities, in danger in wildernesses, in danger in the sea, in danger 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 many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, in frequent fastings, in cold and nakedness—

28 Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies.

quite apart from the other things, my daily disturbances, my concern for 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 do not feel it? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

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

Well, if I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern 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, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me.

In Damascus the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes, wanting to arrest me;

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

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