2 Corinthians 11

I wish you would bear with me [while I indulge] in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me [as you read this].

Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy because I have promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

But I am afraid that, even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted and led away from the simplicity of [your sincere and] pure devotion to Christ.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

For [you seem willing to allow it] if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted. You tolerate all this beautifully [welcoming the deception].

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Yet I consider myself in no way inferior to the [so-called] ^[a]super-apostles.

For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

But even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am not [untrained] in ^[b]knowledge [I know what I am talking about]; but we have made this evident to you in every way, in all things.

But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

Or did I [perhaps] sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted and honored, because I preached God’s gospel to you ^[c]free of charge?

Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

I robbed other churches by accepting [more than their share of] financial support for my ministry to you.

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

And when I was with you and ran short [financially], I did not burden any of you; for what I needed was fully supplied by the brothers (Silas and Timothy) who came from Macedonia (the church at Philippi). So I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

As the truth of Christ is in me, my boast [of independence] will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia (southern Greece).

As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

Why? Because I do not love you [or wish you well, or have regard for your welfare]? God knows [that I do]!

Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

But what I am doing I will keep doing, [for I am determined to keep this independence] in order to cut off the claim of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things they brag about.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.

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

And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but their end will correspond with their deeds.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

I repeat then, let no one think that I am foolish; but even if you do, at least accept me as foolish, so that I too may boast a little.

I say again, let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

What I say in this confident boasting, I say not as the Lord would [with His authority], but foolishly.

That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

Since many boast [of worldly things and brag] about human accomplishments, I will boast too.

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

^[d]For you, being so wise, gladly tolerate and accept the foolish [like me]!

For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

For you tolerate it if anyone makes you his slave; or devours you and your possessions; or takes advantage of you; or acts presumptuously; or hits you in the face.

For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.

To my shame, I must say, we have been too weak [in comparison to those pseudo-apostles who take advantage of you].

But in whatever anyone else dares to boast—I am speaking foolishly—I also dare to boast.

I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

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

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Are they [self-proclaimed] servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if I were out of my mind—I am more so [for I exceed them]; with far more labors, with far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, and often in danger of death.

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

Five times I received from the Jews ^[e]thirty-nine lashes.

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift on the sea;

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

many times on journeys, [exposed to] danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own countrymen, danger from the Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger on the sea, danger among those posing as believers;

In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

in labor and hardship, often unable to sleep, in hunger and thirst, often [driven to] fasting [for lack of food], in cold and exposure [without adequate clothing].

In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

Besides those external things, there is the daily [inescapable] pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

Who is weak, and I do not feel [his] weakness? Who is made to sin, and I am not on fire [with sorrow and concern]?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that reveal my weakness [the things by which I am made weak in the eyes of my opponents].

If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed and to be praised forevermore, knows that I am not lying.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

In Damascus the ^[f]governor (ethnarch) under ^[g]King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me,

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

and I was [actually] let down in a basket through a ^[h]window in the wall, and slipped through his fingers.

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