2 Corinthians 11

1Would that ye would bear with me [in] a little folly; but indeed bear with me.

1Put up with me if I am a little foolish: but, truly, you do put up with me.

2For I am jealous as to you with a jealousy [which is] ofGod; for I have espoused you unto one man, to present [you] a chaste virgin to Christ.

2For I have a very great care for you: because you have been married by me to one husband, and it is my desire to give you completely holy to Christ.

3But 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.

3But I have a fear, that in some way, as Eve was tricked by the deceit of the snake, your minds may be turned away from their simple and holy love for Christ.

4For 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].

4For if anyone comes preaching another Jesus from the one whose preachers we are, or if you have got a different spirit, or a different sort of good news from those which came to you, how well you put up with these things.

5For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles.

5For in my opinion, I am in no way less than the most important of the Apostles.

6But if [I am] a simple person in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything making [the truth] manifest in all things to you.

6But though I am rough in my way of talking, I am not so in knowledge, as we have made clear to all by our acts among you.

7Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that ye might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings ofGod?

7Or did I do wrong in making myself low so that you might be lifted up, because I gave you the good news of God without reward?

8I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you.

8I took money from other churches as payment for my work, so that I might be your servant;

9And 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.

9And when I was present with you, and was in need, I let no man be responsible for me; for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, gave me whatever was needed; and in everything I kept myself from being a trouble to you, and I will go on doing so.

10[The] truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to me in the regions of Achaia.

10As the true word of Christ is in me, I will let no man take from me this my cause of pride in the country of Achaia.

11Why? because I do not love you?God knows.

11Why? because I have no love for you? let God be judge.

12But 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.

12But what I do, that I will go on doing, so that I may give no chance to those who are looking for one; so that, in the cause of their pride, they may be seen to be the same as we are.

13For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

13For such men are false Apostles, workers of deceit, making themselves seem like Apostles of Christ.

14And [it is] not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

14And it is no wonder; for even Satan himself is able to take the form of an angel of light.

15It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

15So it is no great thing if his servants make themselves seem to be servants of righteousness; whose end will be the reward of their works.

16Again 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.

16I say again, Let me not seem foolish to anyone; but if I do, put up with me as such, so that I may take a little glory to myself.

17What I speak I do not speak according to [the] Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting.

17What I am now saying is not by the order of the Lord, but as a foolish person, taking credit to myself, as it seems.

18Since many boast according to flesh, I also will boast.

18Seeing that there are those who take credit to themselves after the flesh, I will do the same.

19For ye bear fools readily, being wise.

19For you put up with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.

20For 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.

20You put up with a man if he makes servants of you, if he makes profit out of you, if he makes you prisoners, if he puts himself in a high place, if he gives you blows on the face.

21I speak as to dishonour, as though we had been weak; but wherein any one is daring, (I speak in folly,) I also am daring.

21I say this by way of shaming ourselves, as if we had been feeble. But if anyone puts himself forward (I am talking like a foolish person), I will do the same.

22Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they seed of Abraham? I also.

22Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they of Israel? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

23Are 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.

23Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking foolishly) I am more so; I have had more experience of hard work, of prisons, of blows more than measure, of death.

24From the Jews five times have I received forty [stripes], save one.

24Five times the Jews gave me forty blows but one.

25Thrice have I been scourged, once I have been stoned, three times I have suffered shipwreck, a night and day I passed in the deep:

25Three times I was whipped with rods, once I was stoned, three times the ship I was in came to destruction at sea, a night and a day I have been in the water;

26in 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;

26In frequent travels, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from outlaws, in dangers from my countrymen, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the town, in dangers in the waste land, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers;

27in labour and toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

27In hard work and weariness, in frequent watchings, going without food and drink, cold and in need of clothing.

28Besides those things that are without, the crowd [of cares] pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies.

28In addition to all the other things, there is that which comes on me every day, the care of all the churches.

29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I burn not?

29Who is feeble and I am not feeble? who is in danger of falling, and I am not angry?

30If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

30If I have to take credit to myself, I will do so in the things in which I am feeble.

31TheGod and Father of the Lord Jesus knows — he who is blessed for ever — that I do not lie.

31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever, is witness that the things which I say are true.

32In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me;

32In Damascus, the ruler under Aretas the king kept watch over the town of the people of Damascus, in order to take me:

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

33And being let down in a basket from the wall through a window, I got free from his hands.