2 Corinthians 11
World English Bible
11 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me. 2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news” which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough. 5 For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles. 6 But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.
7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge? 8 I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you. 9 When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.
12 But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity, that in which they boast, they may be recognized just like us. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
16 I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little. 17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast. 19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise. 20 For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face. 21 To my shame, I speak as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring[a] of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often. 24 Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep. 26 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers; 27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.
28 Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me. 33 I was let down in a basket through a window by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Footnotes
- 11:22 or, seed
2 Corinthians 11
New King James Version
Concern for Their Faithfulness
11 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little (A)folly—and indeed you do bear with me. 2 For I am (B)jealous for you with godly jealousy. For (C)I have betrothed you to one husband, (D)that I may present you (E)as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as (F)the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds (G)may be corrupted from the [a]simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a (H)different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
Paul and False Apostles
5 For I consider that (I)I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. 6 Even though (J)I am untrained in speech, yet I am not (K)in knowledge. But (L)we have [b]been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.
7 Did I commit sin in [c]humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you (M)free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. 9 And when I was present with you, and in need, (N)I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked (O)the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. 10 (P)As the truth of Christ is in me, (Q)no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? (R)Because I do not love you? God knows!
12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, (S)that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such (T)are false apostles, (U)deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into (V)an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, (W)whose end will be according to their works.
Reluctant Boasting
16 I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little. 17 What I speak, (X)I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. 19 For you put up with fools gladly, (Y)since you yourselves are wise! 20 For you put up with it (Z)if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. 21 To our shame (AA)I say that we were too weak for that! But (AB)in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.
Suffering for Christ
22 Are they (AC)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: (AD)in labors more abundant, (AE)in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, (AF)in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received (AG)forty (AH)stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was (AI)beaten with rods; (AJ)once I was stoned; three times I (AK)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, (AL)in perils of my own countrymen, (AM)in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, (AN)in sleeplessness often, (AO)in hunger and thirst, in (AP)fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: (AQ)my deep concern for all the churches. 29 (AR)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
30 If I must boast, (AS)I will boast in the things which concern my [d]infirmity. 31 (AT)The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (AU)who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 (AV)In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 11:3 NU adds and purity
- 2 Corinthians 11:6 NU omits been
- 2 Corinthians 11:7 putting myself down
- 2 Corinthians 11:30 weakness
2 Corinthians 11
International Standard Version
Paul Contrasts Himself with False Apostles
11 I wish you would tolerate a little of my foolishness. Yes, please tolerate me! 2 I am jealous of you with God’s own jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to the Messiah.[a] 3 However, I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from sincere and pure[b] devotion to the Messiah.[c]
4 For if someone comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or should you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you are all too willing to listen. 5 I do not think I’m inferior in any way to those “super-apostles.” 6 Even though I may be untrained as an orator, I am not so in the field of knowledge. We have made this clear to all of you in every possible way.
7 Did I commit a sin when I humbled myself by proclaiming to you the gospel of God free of charge, so that you could be exalted? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 When I was with you and needed something, I did not bother any of you, because our brothers who came from Macedonia supplied everything I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.
10 As surely as the truth of the Messiah[d] is in me, my boasting will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!
12 But I will go on doing what I’m doing in order to deny an opportunity to those people who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in the work they are boasting about. 13 Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who are masquerading as apostles of the Messiah.[e] 14 And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom[f] will match their deeds!
Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle
16 I will say it again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then treat me like a fool so that I can also boast a little. 17 When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord’s authority but like a fool. 18 Since many people boast in a fleshly way, I will do it, too. 19 You are wise, so you will gladly be tolerant of fools. 20 You tolerate anyone who makes you his slaves, devours what you have, takes what is yours, orders you around, or slaps your face!
21 I am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim—I am talking like a fool—I can claim it, too. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelis? So am I. Are they among Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23 Are they the Messiah’s[g] servants? I am insane to talk like this, but I am a far better one! I have been involved in far greater efforts, far more imprisonments, countless beatings, and have faced death more than once. 24 Five times I received from the Jews 40 lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with a stick, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, and I drifted on the sea for a day and a night. 26 I have traveled extensively and have been endangered from rivers, robbers, my own people, and gentiles. I’ve also been in danger in the city, in the open country, at sea, from false brothers, 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger, thirst, many periods of fasting, coldness, and nakedness. 28 Besides everything else, I have a daily burden because of my anxiety about all the churches. 29 Who is weak without me being weak, too? Who is caused to stumble without me becoming indignant?
30 If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas put guards around the city of Damascus to catch me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped from him.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 11:2 Or Christ
- 2 Corinthians 11:3 Other mss. lack and pure
- 2 Corinthians 11:3 Or Christ
- 2 Corinthians 11:10 Or Christ
- 2 Corinthians 11:13 Or Christ
- 2 Corinthians 11:15 Lit. end
- 2 Corinthians 11:23 Or Christ’s
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