International Standard Version

English Standard Version

1I wish you would tolerate a little of my foolishness. Yes, please tolerate me!

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

2I am jealous of you with God's own jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to the Messiah.

2For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

3However, I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from sincere and pure devotion to the Messiah.

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.

4For if someone comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or should you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you are all too willing to listen.

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.

5I do not think I'm inferior in any way to those "super-apostles."

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

6Even though I may be untrained as an orator, I am not so in the field of knowledge. We have made this clear to all of you in every possible way.

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.

7Did I commit a sin when I humbled myself by proclaiming to you the gospel of God free of charge, so that you could be exalted?

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?

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

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

9When I was with you and needed something, I did not bother any of you, because our brothers who came from Macedonia supplied everything I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

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.

10As surely as the truth of the Messiah is in me, my boasting will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.

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

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

11And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

12But I will go on doing what I'm doing in order to deny an opportunity to those people who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in the work they are boasting about.

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.

13Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who are masquerading as apostles of the Messiah.

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

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

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

15So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom will match their deeds!

15So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

16I will say it again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then treat me like a fool so that I can also boast a little.

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.

17When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord's authority but like a fool.

17What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool.

18Since many people boast in a fleshly way, I will do it, too.

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

19You are wise, so you will gladly be tolerant of fools.

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

20You tolerate anyone who makes you his slaves, devours what you have, takes what is yours, orders you around, or slaps your face!

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.

21I am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim—I am talking like a fool—I can claim it, too.

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.

22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelis? So am I. Are they among Abraham's descendants? So am I.

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

23Are they the Messiah's servants? I am insane to talk like this, but I am a far better one! I have been involved in far greater efforts, far more imprisonments, countless beatings, and have faced death more than once.

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.

24Five times I received from the Jews 40 lashes minus one.

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

25Three times I was beaten with a stick, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, and I drifted on the sea for a day and a night.

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;

26I have traveled extensively and have been endangered from rivers, robbers, my own people, and gentiles. I've also been in danger in the city, in the open country, at sea, from false brothers,

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;

27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger, thirst, many periods of fasting, coldness, and nakedness.

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

28Besides everything else, I have a daily burden because of my anxiety about all the churches.

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

29Who is weak without me being weak, too? Who is caused to stumble without me becoming indignant?

29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show how weak I am.

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

31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, 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.

32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas put guards around the city of Damascus to catch me,

32At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me,

33but I was let down in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped from him.

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

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.