| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1I hope you will bear with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that. | 1I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! |
| 2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. | 2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. |
| 3I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ. | 3But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. |
| 4For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily. | 4For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. |
| 5I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.” | 5I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles." |
| 6Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every way possible. | 6I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. |
| 7Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? | 7Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? |
| 8I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you. | 8I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. |
| 9And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so. | 9And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. |
| 10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. | 10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. |
| 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! | 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! |
| 12But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast. | 12And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. |
| 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. | 13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. |
| 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. | 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. |
| 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions. | 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. |
| 16I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. | 16I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. |
| 17In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool. | 17In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. |
| 18Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast. | 18Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. |
| 19For you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise. | 19You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! |
| 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face. | 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. |
| 21To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about. | 21To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast about. |
| 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. | 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. |
| 23Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death. | 23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. |
| 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. | 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. |
| 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. | 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, |
| 26In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers, | 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. |
| 27in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure. | 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. |
| 28Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. | 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. |
| 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief? | 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? |
| 30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. | 30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. |
| 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying. | 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. |
| 32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me. | 32In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. |
| 33But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp. | 33But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands. |
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