| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! | 1I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, do put up with me. |
| 2For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. | 2For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband--to present a pure virgin to Christ. |
| 3But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. | 3But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a complete and pure devotion to Christ. |
| 4For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. | 4For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly! |
| 5Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. | 5Now I consider myself in no way inferior to the "super-apostles." |
| 6Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. | 6Though untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge. Indeed, we have always made that clear to you in everything. |
| 7Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? | 7Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? |
| 8I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. | 8I robbed other churches by taking pay from them to minister to you. |
| 9And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. | 9When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way. |
| 10As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced 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. |
| 11And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! | 11Why? Because I don't love you? God knows I do! |
| 12And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. | 12But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as our equals in what they boast about. |
| 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. | 13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. |
| 14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. | 14And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. |
| 15So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. | 15So it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their destiny will be according to their works. |
| 16I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. | 16I repeat: No one should consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool, so I too may boast a little. |
| 17What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. | 17What I say in this matter of boasting, I don't speak as the Lord would, but foolishly. |
| 18Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. | 18Since many boast in an unspiritual way, I will also boast. |
| 19For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! | 19For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools! |
| 20For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. | 20In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone captures you, if someone dominates you, or if someone hits you in the face. |
| 21To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. | 21I say this to our shame: We have been weak. But in whatever anyone dares to boast--I am talking foolishly--I also dare: |
| 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. | 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. |
| 23Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. | 23Are they servants of Christ? I'm talking like a madman--I'm a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, near death many times. |
| 24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. | 24Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews. |
| 25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; | 25Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans. Once I was stoned by my enemies. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. |
| 26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; | 26On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers; |
| 27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. | 27labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing. |
| 28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. | 28Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches. |
| 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? | 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? |
| 30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. | 30If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. |
| 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. | 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is praised forever, knows I am not lying. |
| 32At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, | 32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me, |
| 33but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands. | 33so I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands. |
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