| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, do put up 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 over you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband--to present a pure 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 that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a complete and pure devotion to 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 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! | 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! |
| 5Now I consider myself in no way inferior to the "super-apostles." | 5For I consider myself not at all inferior to those "super-apostles." |
| 6Though untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge. Indeed, we have always made that clear to you in everything. | 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. |
| 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? | 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 by taking pay from them to minister to you. | 8I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you! |
| 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. | 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, this boasting of mine will not be stopped 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 don't love you? God knows I do! | 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I 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. | 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 people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. | 13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. |
| 14And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. | 14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. |
| 15So it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their destiny 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 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. | 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 say in this matter of boasting, I don't speak as the Lord would, but foolishly. | 17What I am saying with this boastful confidence I do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness. |
| 18Since many boast in an unspiritual way, I will also boast. | 18Since many are boasting according to human standards, I too will boast. |
| 19For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools! | 19For since you are so wise, you put up with fools gladly. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 21I say this to our shame: We have been weak. But in whatever anyone dares to boast--I am talking foolishly--I also dare: | 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 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. | 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. |
| 24Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews. | 24Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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; | 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, |
| 27labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing. | 27in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing. |
| 28Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care 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 boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. | 30If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show my weakness. |
| 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is praised forever, knows 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 King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me, | 32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to arrest me, |
| 33so I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands. | 33but I was let down in a rope-basket through a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands. |
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