New King James Version

English Standard Version

1Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me.

1I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!

2For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

2For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

3But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

3But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

4For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!

4For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.

5For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.

5Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.

6Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.

6Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

7Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

7Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge?

8I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you.

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

9And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

9And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.

10As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

10As 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!

11And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

12But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.

12And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.

13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

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

14And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

15So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

16I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.

16I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

17What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

17What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool.

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

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

19For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise!

19For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!

20For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.

20For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.

21To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.

21To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.

22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.

23Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.

23Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.

24From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.

24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.

25Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;

25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;

26in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;

27in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

28besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 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 Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;

32At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me,

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

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

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

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.