2 Corinthians 10:1-7

New International Version

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

10 By the humility and gentleness^(A) of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul,^(B) who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! ²I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold^(C) as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.^(D) ³For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.^(E) ⁴The weapons we fight with^(F) are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power^(G) to demolish strongholds.^(H) ⁵We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,^(I) and we take captive every thought to make it obedient^(J) to Christ. ⁶And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.^(K)

⁷You are judging by appearances.^[a]^(L) If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ,^(M) they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.^(N)

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Footnotes

2 Corinthians 10:7 Or Look at the obvious facts

Isaiah 17

New International Version

A Prophecy Against Damascus

17 A prophecy^(A) against Damascus:^(B)

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
    but will become a heap of ruins.^(C)
²The cities of Aroer^(D) will be deserted
    and left to flocks,^(E) which will lie down,^(F)
    with no one to make them afraid.^(G)
³The fortified^(H) city will disappear from Ephraim,
    and royal power from Damascus;
the remnant of Aram will be
    like the glory^(I) of the Israelites,”^(J)
declares the Lord Almighty.

⁴“In that day^(K) the glory^(L) of Jacob will fade;
    the fat of his body will waste^(M) away.
⁵It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain,
    gathering^(N) the grain in their arms—
as when someone gleans heads of grain^(O)
    in the Valley of Rephaim.^(P)
⁶Yet some gleanings will remain,^(Q)
    as when an olive tree is beaten,^(R)
leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches,
    four or five on the fruitful boughs,”
declares the Lord, the God of Israel.

⁷In that day^(S) people will look^(T) to their Maker^(U)
    and turn their eyes to the Holy One^(V) of Israel.
⁸They will not look to the altars,^(W)
    the work of their hands,^(X)
and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles^[a]^(Y)
    and the incense altars their fingers^(Z) have made.

⁹In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth.^(AA) And all will be desolation.

¹⁰You have forgotten^(AB) God your Savior;^(AC)
    you have not remembered the Rock,^(AD) your fortress.^(AE)
Therefore, though you set out the finest plants
    and plant imported vines,^(AF)
¹¹though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,
    and on the morning^(AG) when you plant them, you bring them to bud,
yet the harvest^(AH) will be as nothing^(AI)
    in the day of disease and incurable^(AJ) pain.^(AK)

¹²Woe to the many nations that rage^(AL)—
    they rage like the raging sea!^(AM)
Woe to the peoples who roar^(AN)—
    they roar like the roaring of great waters!^(AO)
¹³Although the peoples roar^(AP) like the roar of surging waters,
    when he rebukes^(AQ) them they flee^(AR) far away,
driven before the wind like chaff^(AS) on the hills,
    like tumbleweed before a gale.^(AT)
¹⁴In the evening, sudden^(AU) terror!^(AV)
    Before the morning, they are gone!^(AW)
This is the portion of those who loot us,
    the lot of those who plunder us.