2 Corinthians 11
New Matthew Bible
Paul (with reluctance) commends himself, and defends his authority against the false prophets.
11 I would you could suffer me a little in my foolishness, yea and I ask you to bear with me. 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I espoused you to one man, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear that, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus than him whom we preached, or if you are given another spirit than that which you were given, or another gospel than that which you were given, you might right well be content.
5 I suppose that I was not behind the chief apostles. 6 Though I be poor in speaking, yet I am not so in knowledge. However, among you we are known to the utmost, who we are in all things. 7 Did I sin, because I humbled myself so that you could be exalted, and because I preached to you the gospel of God free? 8 I robbed other congregations, and took support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was present with you and had need, I was a burden to no one, for that which was lacking to me, the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in all things I kept myself so that I would not be burdensome to you. And I will continue so to keep myself. 10 If the truth of Christ is in me, this claim will not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows. 12 Nevertheless, what I do, that I will continue to do, so as to cut away occasion from those who desire occasion to seem like us in the things that they claim.
13 For the false apostles are deceitful workers, and fashion themselves to be like the apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself is changed into the fashion of an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers fashion themselves as though they were the ministers of righteousness – whose end shall be according to their deeds.
16 I say again, lest anyone think that I am foolish, or else even now take me as a fool if I boast a little, 17 that what I am saying I do not say after the ways of the Lord, but as it were foolishly, since we have now come to boasting. 18 Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will boast also. 19 For you suffer fools gladly, because you yourselves are wise. 20 For you oblige even if a man brings you into bondage, if a man devours, if a man takes, if a man exalts himself, if a man strikes you on the face. 21 I speak by way of rebuke. As if we were weak!
However, in any point a man dares to presume (I speak foolishly), I dare to presume also: 22 they are Hebrews; so am I. They are Israelites; so am I. They are the seed of Abraham; so am I. 23 They are the ministers of Christ (I speak like a fool); I am more so: in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison more frequently, in death often.
24 Five times from the Jews I received every time forty stripes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. I was once stoned. I suffered shipwreck three times. Night and day I have been in the deep of the sea, 26 often journeying, in danger in rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own nation, in danger among the heathen. I have been in danger in cities, in danger in the countryside, in danger on the sea, in danger among false brethren, 27 in labour and travail, in sleepless nights often, in hunger, in thirst – going without food often, in cold and without clothing. 28 And besides the things that outwardly happen to me, I am daily concerned and do care for all the congregations. 29 Who is sick, and I am not sick? Who is hurt in the faith and my heart does not burn? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of my afflictions. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not speak untruly.
32 In the city of Damascus, the governor of the people under king Aretas laid watch in the city of the Damascenes, and would have captured me. 33 But at a window I was let down in a basket through the wall, and so escaped his hands.
2 Corinzi 11
La Nuova Diodati
11 Oh, quanto desidererei pure che voi sopportaste con me un po' di follia! Ma infatti voi mi sopportate.
2 Io sono infatti geloso di voi della gelosia di Dio, perché vi ho fidanzati a uno sposo, per presentarvi a Cristo come una casta vergine.
3 Ma io temo che, come il serpente sedusse Eva con la sua astuzia, cosí talora le vostre menti non siano corrotte e sviate dalla semplicità che si deve avere riguardo a Cristo.
4 Se uno infatti venisse a voi predicando un altro Gesú, che noi non abbiamo predicato, o se voi riceveste un altro spirito che non avete ricevuto, o un altro evangelo che non avete accettato, ben lo sopportereste.
5 Ora io ritengo di non essere stato in nulla inferiore ai sommi apostoli.
6 E se anche sono rozzo nel parlare, non lo sono però nella conoscenza; anzi lo abbiamo dimostrato a voi in ogni modo e in tutte le cose.
7 Ho forse io commesso peccato abbassando me stesso affinché voi foste innalzati, per il fatto che vi ho annunziato l'evangelo di Dio gratuitamente?
8 Io ho spogliato altre chiese, ricevendo uno stipendio da loro per servire voi.
9 Inoltre, quando ero tra di voi e mi trovavo nel bisogno, non sono stato di aggravio ad alcuno, perché supplirono al mio bisogno i fratelli che vennero dalla Macedonia, e in ogni cosa mi sono guardato dall'esservi di aggravio, e anche per l'avvenire me ne guarderò.
10 Come la verità di Cristo è in me, questo vanto nei miei confronti non sarà messo a tacere nelle contrade dell'Acaia.
11 Perché? Forse perché non vi amo? Dio lo sa.
12 Anzi ciò che io faccio lo farò ancora, per troncare ogni pretesto a quelli che desiderano un pretesto, per essere trovati simili a noi in ciò di cui si gloriano.
13 Tali falsi apostoli infatti sono degli operai fraudolenti, che si trasformano in apostoli di Cristo.
14 E non c'è da meravigliarsi, perché Satana stesso si trasforma in angelo di luce.
15 Non è dunque gran cosa se anche i suoi ministri si trasformano in ministri di giustizia la cui fine sarà secondo le loro opere.
16 Lo dico di nuovo: Nessuno mi consideri un insensato; se no ricevetemi pure come un insensato, affinché mi possa anch'io vantare un po'.
17 Ciò che dico in questo mio audace vanto, non lo dico secondo il Signore, ma nella follia.
18 Poiché molti si vantano secondo la carne, anch'io mi vanterò.
19 Voi infatti, che siete savi, sopportate volentieri gli insensati.
20 Ora, se qualcuno vi riduce in servitú, se qualcuno vi divora, se qualcuno vi deruba, se qualcuno s'innalza, se qualcuno vi percuote in faccia, voi lo sopportate.
21 Lo dico a mia vergogna, come se noi fossimo stati deboli; eppure, in qualunque cosa uno è ardito, lo dico nella follia, sono ardito anch'io.
22 Sono essi Ebrei? Lo sono anch'io. Sono essi Israeliti? Lo sono anch'io. Sono essi progenie di Abrahamo? Lo sono anch'io.
23 Sono essi ministri di Cristo? Parlo da stolto, io lo sono più di loro; nelle fatiche molto di piú, nelle battiture grandemente di piú, molto piú nelle prigionie e spesso in pericolo di morte.
24 Dai Giudei ho ricevuto cinque volte quaranta sferzate meno una.
25 Tre volte sono stato battuto con le verghe, una volta sono stato lapidato tre volte ho fatto naufragio, ho trascorso un giorno e una notte sull'abisso.
26 Sono stato spesse volte in viaggio fra pericoli di fiumi, pericoli di ladroni, pericoli da parte dei miei connazionali, pericoli da parte dei gentili, pericoli in città, pericoli nel deserto, pericoli in mare, pericoli fra falsi fratelli,
27 nella fatica e nel travaglio, sovente nelle veglie, nella fame e nella sete, spesse volte in digiuni, nel freddo e nella nudità.
28 Oltre a queste cose esterne, ciò che mi assilla quotidianamente, è la sollecitudine per tutte le chiese.
29 Chi è debole, che non lo sia anch'io? Chi è scandalizzato, che io non arda?
30 Se è necessario vantarsi, io mi vanterò delle cose che riguardano la mia debolezza.
31 Il Dio e Padre del nostro Signor Gesú Cristo, che è benedetto in eterno, sa che io non mento.
32 A Damasco, il governatore del re Areta aveva posto delle guardie nella città dei Damasceni per catturarmi,
33 ma da una finestra fui calato lungo il muro in una cesta, e cosí scampai dalle sue mani.
2 Corinthians 11
King James Version
11 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16 I say again, let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1991 by La Buona Novella s.c.r.l.