| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. | 1Now I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the gentleness and graciousness of Christ--I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent. |
| 2But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. | 2I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving in an unspiritual way. |
| 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. | 3For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, |
| 4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, | 4since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments |
| 5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, | 5and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ. |
| 6and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. | 6And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience has been confirmed. |
| 7Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. | 7Look at what is obvious. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we. |
| 8For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed— | 8For if I boast some more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I am not ashamed. |
| 9lest I seem to terrify you by letters. | 9I don't want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters. |
| 10“For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” | 10For it is said, "His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak, and his public speaking is despicable." |
| 11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present. | 11Such a person should consider this: What we are in the words of our letters when absent, we will be in actions when present. |
| 12For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. | 12For we don't dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding. |
| 13We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. | 13We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even to you. |
| 14For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; | 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ. |
| 15not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, | 15We are not bragging beyond measure about other people's labors. But we have the hope that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged, |
| 16to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment. | 16so that we may proclaim the good news to the regions beyond you, not boasting about what has already been done in someone else's area of ministry. |
| 17But “he who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” | 17So the one who boasts must boast in the Lord. |
| 18For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. | 18For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends. |
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