| New American Standard Bible 1995 | NET Bible |
| 1I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing 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 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. | 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 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. | 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 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. | 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! |
| 5For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles. | 5For I consider myself not at all inferior to those "super-apostles." |
| 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. | 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 in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without 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 wages from them to serve you; | 8I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you! |
| 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. | 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 do not love you? God knows I do! | 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I 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. | 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 men 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. |
| 14No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. | 14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. |
| 15Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. | 15Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions. |
| 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. | 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 am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. | 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 according to the flesh, I will boast also. | 18Since many are boasting according to human standards, I too will boast. |
| 19For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. | 19For since you are so wise, you put up with fools gladly. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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 descendants 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 speak as if insane-- I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. | 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 from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. | 24Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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; | 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, |
| 27I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. | 27in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing. |
| 28Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern 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 without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? | 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with indignation? |
| 30If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. | 30If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show 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, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. |
| 32In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, | 32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to arrest me, |
| 33and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands. | 33but I was let down in a rope-basket through a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. |
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