2 Corinthians 11

1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.

I hope you can put up with a little more foolishness from me—well you already do put up with me!

2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

I agonize over you with a divine kind of jealousy, for I promised you to a single husband—Christ—so that I could present you as a pure virgin to him.

3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

I worry that in some way, just as the serpent deceived Eve with his devious cunning, that you might be led astray in your thinking from your sincere and pure commitment to Christ.

4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news” which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough.

If anyone comes and tells you about a different Jesus to the one we shared with you, you easily go along with them, accepting a different spirit to the one you received, and a different kind of good news to the one you believed.

5 For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.

I don't believe I'm inferior to these “super-apostles.”

6 But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.

Even though I may not be skilled in giving speeches, I do know what I'm talking about. We have made this absolutely clear to you in every way.

7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?

Was it wrong of me to humble myself so you could be elevated, since I shared the good news with you at no charge?

8 I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.

I robbed as it were other churches, taking pay from them so I could work for you.

9 When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.

When I was there with you and needed something, I wasn't a burden to anyone because the believers who came from Macedonia took care of my needs. I was determined never to be a burden to you and I never shall.

10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

This is as certain as the truth of Christ that is in me: nobody in all Achaia will stop me boasting about this!

11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.

And why? Because I don't love you? God knows that I do!

12 But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity, that in which they boast, they may be recognized just like us.

I'll continue to do what I've always done, so as to remove any opportunity for those who want to boast that their work is the same as ours.

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.

These people are false apostles, dishonest workers, who pretend to be apostles of Christ.

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

Don't be surprised at this for even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light.

15 It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

So it's no wonder then if those who serve him pretend to be agents of good. But their final end will be in accordance with what they've done.

16 I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.

Let me say it again: please don't think I'm being foolish. However, even if you do, accept me as someone who is foolish, and let me also boast a little.

17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

What I'm saying is not as the Lord would say it—all this foolish boasting.

18 Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.

But since many others are boasting in the way the world does, let me boast too.

19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

(You're happy to put up with fools, since you are so wise!)

20 For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face.

You put up with people who make you slaves, who take what you have, who exploit you, who arrogantly put you down, who hit you in the face.

21 To my shame, I speak as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

I'm so sorry that we were too weak to do anything like that! But whatever people dare to boast about, I dare to do too. (Here I'm talking like a fool again.)

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

Are they Hebrews? Me too. Are they Israelites? Me too. Are they descendants of Abraham? Me too.

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often.

Are they servants of Christ? (I know I'll sound like I'm crazy, talking like this.) But I have done so much more. I've worked harder, been imprisoned more often, whipped more times than I can count, faced death time and again.

24 Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes less one.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent twenty-four hours adrift on the ocean.

26 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;

During my many journeys I have faced the dangers of crossing rivers, robber gangs, attacks from my own countrymen, as well as from foreigners. I have faced danger in cities, in the deserts, and on the sea. I have faced the danger of people who pretend to be Christians.

27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

I have faced hard labor and struggles, many sleepless nights, hungry and thirsty, often going without food, cold, without enough clothing to keep warm.

28 Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies.

Besides all this, I face the daily concerns of dealing with all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?

Who is weak, and I don't feel weak too? Who is led into sin, and I don't burn up?

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

If I have to boast, I will boast about how weak I am.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus—may he be praised forever—knows I am not lying. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me.

While I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas had the city guarded in order to capture me.

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

But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall, and so I escaped from him.