International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1I wish you would tolerate a little of my foolishness. Yes, please tolerate me!

1I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.

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.

2For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.

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.

3But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of 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 one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

5I do not think I'm inferior in any way to those "super-apostles."

5For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent 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.

6But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.

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?

7Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?

8I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you.

8I robbed other churches by taking wages from them 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 present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and 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 the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped 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 what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.

13Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who are masquerading as apostles of the Messiah.

13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

14And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

14No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself 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!

15Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

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.

16Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little.

17When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord's authority but like a fool.

17What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

18Since many people boast in a fleshly way, I will do it, too.

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

19You are wise, so you will gladly be tolerant of fools.

19For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly.

20You tolerate anyone who makes you his slaves, devours what you have, takes what is yours, orders you around, or slaps your face!

20For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits 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 must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold-- I speak in foolishness-- I am just as bold myself.

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 speak as if insane-- I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.

24Five times I received from the Jews 40 lashes minus one.

24Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

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, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

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,

26I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;

27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger, thirst, many periods of fasting, coldness, and nakedness.

27I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, 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 such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of 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 without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

30If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show how weak I am.

30If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to 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, He who is blessed forever, 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 ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,

33but I was let down in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped from him.

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

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org