2 Corinthians 11
New American Standard Bible
Paul Defends His Apostleship
11 I wish that you would (A)bear with me in a little (B)foolishness; but [a]indeed you are bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I (C)betrothed you to one husband, to (D)present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that, as the (E)serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if [b]one comes and preaches (F)another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a (G)different spirit which you have not received, or a (H)different gospel which you have not accepted, this you (I)tolerate (J)very well! 5 For I consider myself (K)not in the least inferior to the [c]most eminent apostles. 6 But even if I am (L)unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in (M)knowledge; in fact, in every way we have (N)made this evident to you in all things.
7 Or (O)did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the (P)gospel of God to you (Q)without charge? 8 I robbed other churches by (R)taking wages from them to serve you; 9 and when I was present with you and was in need, I was (S)not a burden to anyone; for when (T)the brothers came from (U)Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from (V)being a burden to you, [d]and will continue to do so. 10 (W)As the truth of Christ is in me, (X)this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of (Y)Achaia. 11 Why? (Z)Because I do not love you? (AA)God knows that I do!
12 But what I am doing I will also continue to do, (AB)so that I may eliminate the opportunity from those who want an opportunity to be [e]regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. 13 For such men are (AC)false apostles, (AD)deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even (AE)Satan disguises himself as an (AF)angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, (AG)whose end will be according to their deeds.
16 (AH)Again 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. 17 What I am saying, I am not saying [f](AI)as the Lord would, but as (AJ)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since (AK)many boast (AL)according to the flesh, I will boast also. 19 For you, (AM)being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. 20 For you tolerate it if anyone (AN)enslaves you, if anyone (AO)devours you, if anyone (AP)takes advantage of you, if anyone (AQ)exalts himself, if anyone (AR)hits you in the face. 21 To my (AS)shame I must say that we have been (AT)weak by comparison.
But in whatever respect anyone else (AU)is bold—I am (AV)speaking in foolishness—I too am bold. 22 Are they (AW)Hebrews? (AX)So am I. Are they (AY)Israelites? (AZ)So am I. Are they [g](BA)descendants of Abraham? (BB)So am I. 23 Are they (BC)servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in (BD)far more labors, in (BE)far more imprisonments, [h](BF)beaten times without number, often in danger of (BG)death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews (BH)thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was (BI)beaten with rods, once I was (BJ)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my (BK)countrymen, dangers from the (BL)Gentiles, dangers in the (BM)city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among (BN)false brothers; 27 I have been in (BO)labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in (BP)hunger and thirst, often (BQ)without food, in cold and [i](BR)exposure. 28 Apart from such [j]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for (BS)all the churches. 29 Who is (BT)weak without my being weak? Who is [k]led into sin [l]without my intense concern?
30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my (BU)weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, (BV)He who is blessed forever, (BW)knows that I am not lying. 32 In (BX)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was (BY)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33 and I was let down in a basket (BZ)through a window [m]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 11:1 Or do indeed bear with me
- 2 Corinthians 11:4 Lit the one who comes preaches
- 2 Corinthians 11:5 Or super-apostles
- 2 Corinthians 11:9 Lit and I will keep
- 2 Corinthians 11:12 Lit found
- 2 Corinthians 11:17 Lit in accordance with the Lord
- 2 Corinthians 11:22 Lit seed
- 2 Corinthians 11:23 Lit exceedingly in blows
- 2 Corinthians 11:27 Lit nakedness; i.e., lack of clothing
- 2 Corinthians 11:28 Or the things unmentioned
- 2 Corinthians 11:29 Lit made to stumble
- 2 Corinthians 11:29 Lit and I do not burn
- 2 Corinthians 11:33 Lit through
2 Corinthians 11
Young's Literal Translation
11 O that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also do bear with me:
2 for I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ,
3 and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that [is] in the Christ;
4 for if, indeed, he who is coming doth preach another Jesus whom we did not preach, or another Spirit ye receive which ye did not receive, or other good news which ye did not accept -- well were ye bearing [it],
5 for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,
6 and even if unlearned in word -- yet not in knowledge, but in every thing we were made manifest in all things to you.
7 The sin did I do -- myself humbling that ye might be exalted, because freely the good news of God I did proclaim to you?
8 other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;
9 and being present with you, and having been in want, I was chargeable to no one, for my lack did the brethren supply -- having come from Macedonia -- and in everything burdenless to you I did keep myself, and will keep.
10 The truth of Christ is in me, because this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia;
11 wherefore? because I do not love you? God hath known!
12 and what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those wishing an occasion, that in that which they boast they may be found according as we also;
13 for those such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,
14 and no wonder -- for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger of light;
15 no great thing, then, if also his ministrants do transform themselves as ministrants of righteousness -- whose end shall be according to their works.
16 Again I say, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, even as a fool receive me, that I also a little may boast.
17 That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;
18 since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:
19 for gladly do ye bear with the fools -- being wise,
20 for ye bear, if any one is bringing you under bondage, if any one doth devour, if any one doth take away, if any one doth exalt himself, if any one on the face doth smite you;
21 in reference to dishonour I speak, how that we were weak, and in whatever any one is bold -- in foolishness I say [it] -- I also am bold.
22 Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!
23 ministrants of Christ are they? -- as beside myself I speak -- I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times;
24 from Jews five times forty [stripes] save one I did receive;
25 thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep I have passed;
26 journeyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brethren;
27 in laboriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness;
28 apart from the things without -- the crowding upon me that is daily -- the care of all the assemblies.
29 Who is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;
30 if to boast it behoveth [me], of the things of my infirmity I will boast;
31 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ -- who is blessed to the ages -- hath known that I do not lie! --
32 In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,
33 and through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.
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