2 Corinthians 11
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1I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me!1I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me.
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.2For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—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.3But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.
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.4You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.
5I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles."5But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super apostles” who teach such things.
6I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.6I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every possible way.
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?7Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return?
8I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you.8I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost.
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.9And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be.
10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine.10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, no one in all of Greece will ever stop me from boasting about this.
11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!11Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows that I do.
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.12But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours.
13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.13These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.
14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.14But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.15So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve. Paul’s Many Trials
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.16Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little.
17In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool.17Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool.
18Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast.18And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too.
19You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!19After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools!
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.20You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face.
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.21I’m ashamed to say that we’ve been too “weak” to do that! But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too.
22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they 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 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.23Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.
24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.24Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.
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,25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.
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.26I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.
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.27I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.28Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.
29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?29Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?
30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.30If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.
31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.31God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.
32In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.32When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me.
33But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.33I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.
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2 Corinthians 10
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