2 Corinthians 11

1 I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that.

2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

3 I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than 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 very easily.

5 I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”

6 Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have been made known to you in every way possible.

7 Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

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

9 And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.

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

12 But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast.

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.

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

15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.

16 I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

17 In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

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

19 For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise.

20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face.

21 To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.

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

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in worse beatings, in more imprisonments, in frequent danger of death.

24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.

26 In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,

27 in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.

28 Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief?

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

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.

32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes wishing to arrest me.

33 But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.

1 ¶ Would to God ye could bear with me a little in [my] folly: and indeed bear with me.

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

3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].

5 ¶ For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

6 But though [I be] rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

8 I robbed other churches, taking wages [of them], to do you service.

9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all [things] I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and [so] will I keep [myself].

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

11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

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

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

16 ¶ I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

17 That which I speak, I speak [it] not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye [yourselves] are wise.

20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour [you], if a man take [of you], if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.

21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

22 ¶ Are they Hebrews? so [am] I. Are they Israelites? so [am] I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so [am] I.

23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am] more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

24 Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one.

25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26 [In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren;

27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

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

1 Would to God ye had given me a little folly! But ye will keep it for me.

2 For I am jealous for you with godly zeal. For I have trusted you to a man, that I might bring a pure virgin unto Christ.

3 But I fear lest, as the serpent beguiled Eve with his craftiness, so your minds also be beguiled of the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 For if he that cometh unto you preacheth another Jesus, which we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not received, ye are forgiven.

5 For I respect that I am no less than the high apostles are.

6 Though I be foolish in speech, yet am I not foolish in knowledge. Yea, I am well known among you all.

7 Or have I sinned in humbling myself, that ye might be exalted? For I have preached the gospel unto you in vain.

8 And have robbed other churches, and taken pay of them, that I might preach unto you.

9 And when I was present with you, and was in want, I was not burdensome to any man: for my want was supplied by the brethren that came out of Macedonia: and in all things I have kept myself light unto you, and will keep myself so.

10 If the truth of Christ be in me, let not this glory be stopped from me in the countries of Achaia.

11 Why is that? That I should not love you? God knows.

12 But what I do, and what I will do, I do for this cause, to cut off the cause of them that seek causes, that they may boast that they are like us.

13 For such false apostles and deceitful workers pretend to be Christ's apostles.

14 And this is no marvel: for he himself, Satan, maketh himself an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is no great thing, if his ministers also disguise themselves as preachers of righteousness: which end shall be according to their works.

16 But I say again, lest any man think me foolish: but if not, receive me for a fool, that I may boast a little.

17 What I speak now, I speak not as in the Lord, but as in folly, because we are come to glory.

18 Forasmuch as many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.

19 For ye gladly bear with fools, because ye are wise.

20 Ye shall bear with one that maketh you servants, and with one that oppresseth you, and with one that taketh you, and with one that defieth you, and with one that smote you in the face.

21 I say this after dishonour, as though we had become weak. Wherefore if any man be bold (I speak in folly), I am bold also.

22 They are Ebrews, and so am I. They are Israelites, so am I. They are Abraham's seed, so am I.

23 they are servants of Christ;. (I speak foolishly) I am more, I suppose. I have worked more, I have suffered more blows, I have been imprisoned more often, often in mortal peril.

24 Of the Jews I have received five times forty strokes less one.

25 I have been beaten thrice, I have been stoned once, I have been shipwrecked thrice, I have spent day and night in the deep.

26 I have travelled often; I have been in danger by sea, in danger among murderers, in danger among the Jews, in danger among the Gentiles, in danger in the cities, in danger in the wilderness, in danger on the sea, in danger among false brethren,

27 In toil and labor, in much watching, in hunger and thirst, in much fasting, in frost and nakedness,

28 Without any other thing, that I am daily approached, and have the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I become not weak? Who is vexed, and I burn not?

30 If ever I should glory, I will glory in my infirmities.

31 God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever and ever, knoweth that I lie not.

32 In Damascus, the governor of king Aretas kept the city of the Damascenes, and sought to take me;

33 And I was let down by the wall out of a basket at the window, and escaped out of his hands.