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 could bear with me in a little folly! and indeed ye do 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 over you with a godly jealousy; for I espoused you to one husband, to present you as a pure 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 beguiled Eve by his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from single-heartedness toward 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 he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye did not receive, or another gospel, which ye did not accept, well might ye bear with it.

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

For I suppose that I am in no respect behind the very foremost 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.

And though I am rude in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; but this did we in every respect manifest 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?

Did I commit an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God without charge?

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

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, in order to do you 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 when I was present with you, and in want, I was a charge to no one; (for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied my wants; ) and in every thing I kept myself and will keep myself from being 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.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia.

11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.

Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth!

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, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off occasion from those who wish for an occasion, in order that in the matter of which 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 workmen, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

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

And no wonder; for even Satan transformeth 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, then, 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.

I say again, let no one suppose me a fool; if otherwise, yet even as a fool receive me, that I too may boast myself 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 after the Lord, but as it were in folly, in this confidence of boasting.

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

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

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

For ye bear with fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are 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 with it, if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one smites 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 say it to my reproach, that we were weak; but in whatever any one is bold, (I speak in folly, ) 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 Abram's offspring? 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 speak as beside myself, ) I am more; in labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often;

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

of the Jews five times 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 I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have spent 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;

by journeyings often; by perils of rivers, by perils of robbers, by perils from my countrymen, by perils from the heathen, by perils in the city, by perils in the wilderness, by perils in the sea, by perils among false brethren;

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

by weariness and painfulness, 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 the other troubles, there is that which presseth upon me daily, the anxiety for all the churches.

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 in danger of stumbling, and I do not burn?

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

If I must boast, I will boast of the things which belong to 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, who is blessed for evermore, knoweth 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 Aretas the king kept guard over the city of the Damascenes, in order to apprehend me;

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

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