| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. | 1I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient 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 am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage 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 just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may 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 different from the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough! |
| 5For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. | 5For I consider myself not at all inferior 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. | 6And even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every 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? | 7Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you free of charge? |
| 8I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. | 8I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could 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 was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and 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 the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. |
| 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows! | 11Why? 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, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about. |
| 13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. | 13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, 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. | 15Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions. |
| 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 say again, let no one think that I am a fool. But if you do, then at least 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 do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness. |
| 18Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. | 18Since many are boasting according to human standards, I too will boast. |
| 19For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise! | 19For since you are so wise, you put up with fools gladly. |
| 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 put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone 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. | 21(To my disgrace I must say that we were too weak for that!) But whatever anyone else dares to boast about (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing. |
| 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 descendants 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 talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times. |
| 24From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. | 24Five times I received from the Jews 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 a rod. Once I received a stoning. Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open 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; | 26I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers, |
| 27in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— | 27in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing. |
| 28besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. | 28Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern 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 led into sin, and I do not burn with indignation? |
| 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 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, who is blessed forever, knows 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 was guarding the city of Damascus in order to arrest 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 rope-basket through a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands. |
|
