New King James Version

International Standard Version

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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?

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.

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.

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

10As surely as the truth of the Messiah is in me, my boasting will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.

11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!

11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that 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.

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.

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

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

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

14And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades 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 not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom will match 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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 Israelis? So am I. Are they among Abraham's descendants? 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 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.

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

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

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;

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,

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, through hunger, thirst, many periods of fasting, coldness, and nakedness.

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

28Besides everything else, I have a daily burden because of my anxiety about 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 without me being weak, too? Who is caused to stumble without me becoming indignant?

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

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

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, 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;

32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas put guards around the city of Damascus to catch 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 an opening in the wall and escaped from him.

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

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