English Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!

1I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing 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 for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.

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 am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of 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 one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

5Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.

5For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent 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.

6But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.

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 in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?

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

8I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve 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.

9and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.

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 do not 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 what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.

13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

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

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

14No wonder, for even 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.

15Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

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.

16Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also 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 am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

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

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

19For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!

19For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly.

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.

20For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone 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.

21To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold-- I speak in foolishness-- I am just as bold myself.

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 descendants 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 speak as if insane-- I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.

24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.

24Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

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, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

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;

26I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;

27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

27I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

28Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern 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 without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

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

30If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.

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, He who is blessed forever, knows that 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 ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,

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

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

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