| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 1Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. | 1Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: |
| 2But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. | 2But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked 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 do not war after the flesh: |
| 4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, | 4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) |
| 5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, | 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; |
| 6and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. | 6And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. |
| 7Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. | 7Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. |
| 8For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed— | 8For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: |
| 9lest I seem to terrify you by letters. | 9That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. |
| 10“For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” | 10For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. |
| 11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present. | 11Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present. |
| 12For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. | 12For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. |
| 13We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. | 13But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. |
| 14For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; | 14For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ: |
| 15not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, | 15Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, |
| 16to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment. | 16To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. |
| 17But “he who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” | 17But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. |
| 18For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. | 18For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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