| New American Standard Bible 1995 | English Standard Version |
| 1Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ-- I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! | 1I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— |
| 2I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. | 2I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. |
| 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, | 3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. |
| 4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. | 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. |
| 5We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, | 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, |
| 6and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. | 6being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. |
| 7You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. | 7Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. |
| 8For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, | 8For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. |
| 9for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. | 9I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. |
| 10For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible." | 10For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” |
| 11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present. | 11Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. |
| 12For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. | 12Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. |
| 13But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. | 13But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. |
| 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; | 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. |
| 15not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, | 15We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, |
| 16so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. | 16so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. |
| 17But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. | 17“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” |
| 18For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. | 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. |
| 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 | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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