2 Corinthians 11:14-33

English Standard Version

¹⁴And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as ^(A)an angel of light. ¹⁵So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as ^(B)servants of righteousness. ^(C)Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Paul's Sufferings as an Apostle

¹⁶I repeat, ^(D)let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. ¹⁷What I am saying ^(E)with this boastful confidence, ^(F)I say not as the Lord would^[a] but as a fool. ¹⁸Since ^(G)many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. ¹⁹For you gladly bear with fools, ^(H)being wise yourselves! ²⁰For you bear it if someone ^(I)makes slaves of you, or ^(J)devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or ^(K)strikes you in the face. ²¹To my shame, I must say, ^(L)we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. ²²Are they Hebrews? ^(M)So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. ²³Are they ^(N)servants of Christ? ^(O)I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, ^(P)far more imprisonments, ^(Q)with countless beatings, and ^(R)often near death. ²⁴Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the ^(S)forty lashes less one. ²⁵Three times I was ^(T)beaten with rods. ^(U)Once I was stoned. Three times I ^(V)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^(W)danger from my own people, ^(X)danger from Gentiles, ^(Y)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ²⁷^(Z)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, ^(AA)in hunger and thirst, often without food,^[b] in cold and exposure. ²⁸And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for ^(AB)all the churches. ²⁹^(AC)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

³⁰^(AD)If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. ³¹^(AE)The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(AF)he who is blessed forever, ^(AG)knows that I am not lying. ³²At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas ^(AH)was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, ³³^(AI)but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.