2 Corinthians 10
English Standard Version
Paul Defends His Ministry
10 (A)I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the (B)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you (C)that when I am present I may not have to show (D)boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the (E)weapons of (F)our warfare are not of the flesh but have (G)divine power (H)to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and (I)every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to (J)obey Christ, 6 (K)being ready to punish every disobedience, (L)when your obedience is complete.
7 (M)Look at what is before your eyes. (N)If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as (O)he is Christ's, (P)so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of (Q)our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but (R)his bodily presence is weak, and (S)his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 Not that we dare to classify or (T)compare ourselves with some of those who (U)are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are (V)without understanding.
13 But we will not boast (W)beyond limits, but will (X)boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, (Y)to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. (Z)For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that (AA)as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be (AB)greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. 17 “Let (AC)the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is (AD)not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one (AE)whom the Lord commends.
Kehillah in Corinth II 10
Orthodox Jewish Bible
10 Now I myself, Sha’ul, appeal to you gently in Moshiach and in his anavah (humility) I who am peh el peh (panim el panim, face to face) "lowly" among you [1C 2:3] but have "chutzpah" with you when absent. [1C 2:4; 7:8]
2 Now I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show enough chutzpah to oppose certain persons, [1C 4:21] the ones considering us to act according to the standards of the basar of the Olam Hazeh.
3 For though walking in basar, we war not according to the basar,
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the basar, [Ep 6:13 17] but full of ko’ach through Hashem to the overthrowing of strongholds, reasonings [Jer 1:10; 23:29]
5 And every high minded thing rising up against the da’as of Hashem, and leading captive every machshavah (thought) into the mishma’at of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, [Isa 2:11,12]
6 And prepared to discipline all disobedience whenever your mishma’at (obedience) is completed. [2C 2:9]
7 You look at things according to outward appearance. If anyone has persuaded himself that he belongs to Moshiach, have zikaron (recollection) of this: as he is of Moshiach, so also are we.
8 Now even if I should glory a little too much [2C 12:6] in our samchut (authority) [as Shlichim of Moshiach] [2C 13:10] which Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will make good my claim. [Jer1:10]
9 I did not intend to seem as if my iggrot were meant to frighten you.
10 For they say, "His iggrot indeed are weighty and strong but his physical presence is weak and his shprach (diction), as far as rhetoric is concerned, is despicable."
11 Let such a one consider this: that the dvar we speak through iggrot when absent will become action we will very well do when present! [2C 13:2,10]
12 For we dare not to make a geder (classification) for ourselves or to compare ourselves with some of the ones commending themselves [2C 3:1; 5:12], but when they measure themselves by the standard of one another or compare themselves with one another, they do not show seichel.
13 But we will not boast out of our depth, but will be shomer to keep within the sadeh (field) Hashem has apportioned to us [Ro 12:3] which reached out even as far as you. [Ga 2:7 8]
14 For we were not getting out of our depth when we reached even as far as you. We were the chalutzim (pioneers) who came with the Besuras HaGeulah of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
15 We do not boast out of our depth, that is, in the labor of others; but tikvateinu is that, as your emunah grows, our sphere of Shlichus (Divine mission) among you will also be enlarged,
16 So that we may abundantly proclaim the Besuras HaGeulah to the regions beyond you, without boasting in someone else’s Messianic chalutz accomplishments.
17 But HAMMIT HALLELYIT HALLEL; ("The one boasting let him boast" in the L-rd.) [Jer 9:23,24; Ps 34:2; 44:8; 1C 1:13];
18 For it is not the one commending himself that has the haskama (approval), but it is the one to whom [Moshiach] Adoneinu gives the haskama. [1C 4:4 5]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International