| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New International Version |
| 1I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, do put up with me. | 1I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up 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. | 2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. |
| 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 Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your 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 to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. |
| 5Now I consider myself in no way inferior to the "super-apostles." | 5I do not think I am in the least 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. | 6I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you 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? | 7Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching 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 as to 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. | 9And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have 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 surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. |
| 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 I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us 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, masquerading as apostles of Christ. |
| 14And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. | 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades 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. | 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. |
| 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 repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. |
| 17What I say in this matter of boasting, I don't speak as the Lord would, but foolishly. | 17In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. |
| 18Since many boast in an unspiritual way, I will also boast. | 18Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. |
| 19For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools! | 19You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! |
| 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. | 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps 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: | 21To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast about. |
| 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 Abraham's descendants? 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 out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. |
| 24Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews. | 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus 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 rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day 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 constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. |
| 27labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing. | 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. |
| 28Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches. | 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my 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 do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? |
| 30If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. | 30If I must boast, I will boast of 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 to be praised forever, knows that 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 had the city of the Damascenes guarded 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 lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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