International Standard Version | Berean Study Bible |
1I wish you would tolerate a little of my foolishness. Yes, please tolerate me! | 1I hope you will bear with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that. |
2I am jealous of you with God's own jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to the Messiah. | 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. |
3However, I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from sincere and pure devotion to the Messiah. | 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. |
4For if someone comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or should you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you are all too willing to listen. | 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. |
5I do not think I'm inferior in any way to those "super-apostles." | 5I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.” |
6Even though I may be untrained as an orator, I am not so in the field of knowledge. We have made this clear to all of you in every possible way. | 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. |
7Did I commit a sin when I humbled myself by proclaiming to you the gospel of God free of charge, so that you could be exalted? | 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? |
8I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. | 8I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you. |
9When I was with you and needed something, I did not bother any of you, because our brothers who came from Macedonia supplied everything I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so. | 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. |
10As surely as the truth of the Messiah is in me, my boasting will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. | 10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. |
11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do! | 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! |
12But I will go on doing what I'm doing in order to deny an opportunity to those people who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in the work they are boasting about. | 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. |
13Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who are masquerading as apostles of the Messiah. | 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. |
14And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. | 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. |
15So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom will match their deeds! | 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions. |
16I will say it again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then treat me like a fool so that I can also boast a little. | 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. |
17When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord's authority but like a fool. | 17In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool. |
18Since many people boast in a fleshly way, I will do it, too. | 18Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast. |
19You are wise, so you will gladly be tolerant of fools. | 19For you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise. |
20You tolerate anyone who makes you his slaves, devours what you have, takes what is yours, orders you around, or slaps your face! | 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. |
21I am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim—I am talking like a fool—I can claim it, too. | 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. |
22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelis? So am I. Are they among Abraham's descendants? So am I. | 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. |
23Are they the Messiah's servants? I am insane to talk like this, but I am a far better one! I have been involved in far greater efforts, far more imprisonments, countless beatings, and have faced death more than once. | 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. |
24Five times I received from the Jews 40 lashes minus one. | 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. |
25Three times I was beaten with a stick, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, and I drifted on the sea for a day and a night. | 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. |
26I have traveled extensively and have been endangered from rivers, robbers, my own people, and gentiles. I've also been in danger in the city, in the open country, at sea, from false brothers, | 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, |
27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger, thirst, many periods of fasting, coldness, and nakedness. | 27in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure. |
28Besides everything else, I have a daily burden because of my anxiety about all the churches. | 28Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. |
29Who is weak without me being weak, too? Who is caused to stumble without me becoming indignant? | 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief? |
30If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show how weak I am. | 30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. |
31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. | 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying. |
32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas put guards around the city of Damascus to catch me, | 32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me. |
33but I was let down in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped from him. | 33But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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