Paul and the False Apostles

11 I hope you will put up with^(A) me in a little foolishness.^(B) Yes, please put up with me! ² I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,^(C) to Christ, so that I might present you^(D) as a pure virgin to him. ³ But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning,^(E) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached,^(F) or if you receive a different spirit^(G) from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel^(H) from the one you accepted, you put up with it^(I) easily enough.

⁵ I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”^{[a](J) 6} I may indeed be untrained as a speaker,^(K) but I do have knowledge.^(L) We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. ⁷ Was it a sin^(M) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God^(N) to you free of charge?^{(O) 8} I robbed other churches by receiving support from them^(P) so as to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.^(Q) I have kept myself from being a burden to you^(R) in any way, and will continue to do so. ¹⁰ As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,^(S) nobody in the regions of Achaia^(T) will stop this boasting^(U) of mine. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows^(V) I do!^(W)

¹² And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. ¹³ For such people are false apostles,^(X) deceitful^(Y) workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.^{(Z) 14} And no wonder, for Satan^(AA) himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.^(AB)

Paul Boasts About His Sufferings

¹⁶ I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool.^(AC) But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. ¹⁷ In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would,^(AD) but as a fool.^{(AE) 18} Since many are boasting in the way the world does,^(AF) I too will boast.^{(AG) 19} You gladly put up with^(AH) fools since you are so wise!^{(AI) 20} In fact, you even put up with^(AJ) anyone who enslaves you^(AK) or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. ²¹ To my shame I admit that we were too weak^(AL) for that!

Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.^{(AM) 22} Are they Hebrews? So am I.^(AN) Are they Israelites? So am I.^(AO) Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.^{(AP) 23} Are they servants of Christ?^(AQ) (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder,^(AR) been in prison more frequently,^(AS) been flogged more severely,^(AT) and been exposed to death again and again.^{(AU) 24} Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes^(AV) minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods,^(AW) once I was pelted with stones,^(AX) three times I was shipwrecked,^(AY) I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews,^(AZ) in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city,^(BA) in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.^{(BB) 27} I have labored and toiled^(BC) and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food;^(BD) I have been cold and naked. ²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.^{(BE) 29} Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?^(BF) Who is led into sin,^(BG) and I do not inwardly burn?

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast^(BH) of the things that show my weakness.^{(BI) 31} The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever,^(BJ) knows^(BK) that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.^{(BL) 33} But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.^(BM)

Psalm 132^(A)

A song of ascents.

Judgment on the Idolaters

9 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” ² And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen^(A) who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

³ Now the glory^(B) of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim,^(C) where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side ⁴ and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem^(D) and put a mark^(E) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament^(F) over all the detestable things that are done in it.^(G)”

⁵ As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity^(H) or compassion.^{(I) 6} Slaughter^(J) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,^(K) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.^(L) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men^(M) who were in front of the temple.^(N)

⁷ Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.^(O) Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. ⁸ While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown,^(P) crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord!^(Q) Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath^(R) on Jerusalem?^(S)”

⁹ He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice.^(T) They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’^{(U) 10} So I will not look on them with pity^(V) or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.^(W)”

¹¹ Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”

God’s Glory Departs From the Temple

10 I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne^(X) of lapis lazuli^(Y) above the vault^(Z) that was over the heads of the cherubim.^{(AA) 2} The Lord said to the man clothed in linen,^(AB) “Go in among the wheels^(AC) beneath the cherubim. Fill^(AD) your hands with burning coals^(AE) from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

³ Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord^(AF) rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. ⁵ The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice^(AG) of God Almighty^[a] when he speaks.^(AH)

⁶ When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels,^(AI) from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. ⁷ Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire^(AJ) that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. ⁸ (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)^(AK)

⁹ I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz.^{(AL) 10} As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. ¹¹ As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about^[b] as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. ¹² Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes,^(AM) as were their four wheels.^{(AN) 13} I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” ¹⁴ Each of the cherubim^(AO) had four faces:^(AP) One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion,^(AQ) and the fourth the face of an eagle.^(AR)

¹⁵ Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures^(AS) I had seen by the Kebar River.^{(AT) 16} When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. ¹⁷ When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.^(AU)

¹⁸ Then the glory^(AV) of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.^{(AW) 19} While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them.^(AX) They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory^(AY) of the God of Israel was above them.

²⁰ These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River,^(AZ) and I realized that they were cherubim. ²¹ Each had four faces^(BA) and four wings,^(BB) and under their wings was what looked like human hands. ²² Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River.^(BC) Each one went straight ahead.

God’s Sure Judgment on Jerusalem

11 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah^(BD) son of Benaiah, leaders^(BE) of the people.^{(BF) 2} The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil^(BG) and giving wicked advice in this city.^{(BH) 3} They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot,^(BI) and we are the meat in it.’^{(BJ) 4} Therefore prophesy^(BK) against them; prophesy, son of man.”

⁵ Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.^{(BL) 6} You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.^(BM)

⁷ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot,^(BN) but I will drive you out of it.^{(BO) 8} You fear the sword,^(BP) and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(BQ) 9} I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands^(BR) of foreigners and inflict punishment on you.^{(BS) 10} You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.^(BT) Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹¹ This city will not be a pot^(BU) for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. ¹² And you will know that I am the Lord,^(BV) for you have not followed my decrees^(BW) or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.^(BX)”

¹³ Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah^(BY) son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?^(BZ)”

The Promise of Israel’s Return

¹⁴ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁵ “Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, ‘They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession.’^(CA)

¹⁶ “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary^(CB) for them in the countries where they have gone.’

¹⁷ “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’^(CC)

¹⁸ “They will return to it and remove all its vile images^(CD) and detestable idols.^{(CE) 19} I will give them an undivided heart^(CF) and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone^(CG) and give them a heart of flesh.^{(CH) 20} Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.^(CI) They will be my people,^(CJ) and I will be their God.^{(CK) 21} But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols,^(CL) I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(CM)”

²² Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory^(CN) of the God of Israel was above them.^{(CO) 23} The glory^(CP) of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain^(CQ) east of it. ²⁴ The Spirit^(CR) lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia^[c] in the vision^(CS) given by the Spirit of God.

Then the vision I had seen went up from me, ²⁵ and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.^(CT)