New Living Translation

Greek Study Bible

1I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me.

1Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρόν τι ἀφροσύνης ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνέχεσθέ μου

2For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ.

2ζηλῶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς Θεοῦ ζήλῳ ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ

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.

3Φοβοῦμαι δὲ μή πως ὡς ὁ ὄφις ἐξηπάτησεν Εὕαν ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁπλότητος καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος τῆς εἰς ‹τὸν› Χριστόν

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.

4εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἄλλον Ἰησοῦν κηρύσσει ὃν οὐκ ἐκηρύξαμεν ἢ πνεῦμα ἕτερον λαμβάνετε ὃ οὐκ ἐλάβετε ἢ εὐαγγέλιον ἕτερον ὃ οὐκ ἐδέξασθε καλῶς ἀνέχεσθε

5But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super apostles” who teach such things.

5Λογίζομαι γὰρ μηδὲν ὑστερηκέναι τῶν Ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων

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.

6εἰ δὲ καὶ ἰδιώτης τῷ λόγῳ ἀλλ’ οὐ τῇ γνώσει ἀλλ’ ἐν παντὶ φανερώσαντες ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς

7Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return?

7Ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε ὅτι δωρεὰν τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν

8I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost.

8ἄλλας ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα λαβὼν ὀψώνιον πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν

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.

9καὶ παρὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ ὑστερηθεὶς οὐ κατενάρκησα οὐθενός τὸ γὰρ ὑστέρημά μου προσανεπλήρωσαν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἐλθόντες ἀπὸ Μακεδονίας καὶ ἐν παντὶ ἀβαρῆ ἐμαυτὸν ὑμῖν ἐτήρησα καὶ τηρήσω

10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, no one in all of Greece will ever stop me from boasting about this.

10ἔστιν ἀλήθεια Χριστοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ ὅτι ἡ καύχησις αὕτη οὐ φραγήσεται εἰς ἐμὲ ἐν τοῖς κλίμασιν τῆς Ἀχαΐας

11Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows that I do.

11διὰ τί ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαπῶ ὑμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς οἶδεν

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.

12Ὃ δὲ ποιῶ καὶ ποιήσω ἵνα ἐκκόψω τὴν ἀφορμὴν τῶν θελόντων ἀφορμήν ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καυχῶνται εὑρεθῶσιν καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς

13These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.

13οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι ψευδαπόστολοι ἐργάται δόλιοι μετασχηματιζόμενοι εἰς ἀποστόλους Χριστοῦ

14But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

14καὶ οὐ θαῦμα αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ Σατανᾶς μετασχηματίζεται εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός

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

15οὐ μέγα οὖν εἰ καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ μετασχηματίζονται ὡς διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης ὧν τὸ τέλος ἔσται κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν

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.

16Πάλιν λέγω μή τίς με δόξῃ ἄφρονα εἶναι εἰ δὲ μή¦γε κἂν ὡς ἄφρονα δέξασθέ με ἵνα κἀγὼ μικρόν τι καυχήσωμαι

17Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool.

17ὃ λαλῶ οὐ κατὰ Κύριον λαλῶ ἀλλ’ ὡς ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ὑποστάσει τῆς καυχήσεως

18And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too.

18ἐπεὶ πολλοὶ καυχῶνται κατὰ 〈τὴν〉 σάρκα κἀγὼ καυχήσομαι

19After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools!

19ἡδέως γὰρ ἀνέχεσθε τῶν ἀφρόνων φρόνιμοι ὄντες

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.

20ἀνέχεσθε γὰρ εἴ τις ὑμᾶς καταδουλοῖ εἴ τις κατεσθίει εἴ τις λαμβάνει εἴ τις ἐπαίρεται εἴ τις εἰς πρόσωπον ὑμᾶς δέρει

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.

21κατὰ ἀτιμίαν λέγω ὡς ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠσθενήκαμεν Ἐν ᾧ δ’ ἄν τις τολμᾷ ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ λέγω τολμῶ κἀγώ

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

22Ἑβραῖοί εἰσιν κἀγώ Ἰσραηλῖταί εἰσιν κἀγώ σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ εἰσιν κἀγώ

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.

23διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσιν παραφρονῶν λαλῶ ὑπὲρ ἐγώ ἐν κόποις περισσοτέρως ἐν φυλακαῖς περισσοτέρως ἐν πληγαῖς ὑπερβαλλόντως ἐν θανάτοις πολλάκις

24Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.

24Ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων πεντάκις τεσσεράκοντα παρὰ μίαν ἔλαβον

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.

25τρὶς ἐραβδίσθην ἅπαξ ἐλιθάσθην τρὶς ἐναυάγησα νυχθήμερον ἐν τῷ βυθῷ πεποίηκα

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.

26ὁδοιπορίαις πολλάκις κινδύνοις ποταμῶν κινδύνοις λῃστῶν κινδύνοις ἐκ γένους κινδύνοις ἐξ ἐθνῶν κινδύνοις ἐν πόλει κινδύνοις ἐν ἐρημίᾳ κινδύνοις ἐν θαλάσσῃ κινδύνοις ἐν ψευδαδέλφοις

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.

27κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις πολλάκις ἐν λιμῷ καὶ δίψει ἐν νηστείαις πολλάκις ἐν ψύχει καὶ γυμνότητι

28Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.

28Χωρὶς τῶν παρεκτὸς ἡ ἐπίστασίς μοι ἡ καθ’ ἡμέραν ἡ μέριμνα πασῶν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν

29Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

29τίς ἀσθενεῖ καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ τίς σκανδαλίζεται καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι

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

30Εἰ καυχᾶσθαι δεῖ τὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας μου καυχήσομαι

31God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.

31ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ οἶδεν ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι

32When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me.

32ἐν Δαμασκῷ ὁ ἐθνάρχης Ἁρέτα τοῦ βασιλέως ἐφρούρει τὴν πόλιν Δαμασκηνῶν πιάσαι με

33I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.

33καὶ διὰ θυρίδος ἐν σαργάνῃ ἐχαλάσθην διὰ τοῦ τείχους καὶ ἐξέφυγον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.