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2 Corinthians 12:11-18
King James Version
2 Corinthians 12:11-18
King James Version
11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.
12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.
14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
16 But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.
17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?
18 I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?
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2 Corinthians 12:11-18
New International Version
2 Corinthians 12:11-18
New International Version
Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians
11 I have made a fool of myself,(A) but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”[a](B) even though I am nothing.(C) 12 I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.(D) 13 How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?(E) Forgive me this wrong!(F)
14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,(G) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,(H) but parents for their children.(I) 15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.(J) If I love you more,(K) will you love me less? 16 Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.(L) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17 Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? 18 I urged(M) Titus(N) to go to you and I sent our brother(O) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 12:11 Or the most eminent apostles
2 Corinthians 12:11-18
New King James Version
2 Corinthians 12:11-18
New King James Version
Signs of an Apostle
11 I have become (A)a fool [a]in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for (B)in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though (C)I am nothing. 12 (D)Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and (E)wonders and mighty (F)deeds. 13 For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong!
Love for the Church
14 (G)Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for (H)I do not seek yours, but you. (I)For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent (J)for your souls; though (K)the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.
16 But be that as it may, (L)I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning! 17 Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus, and sent our (M)brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?
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- 2 Corinthians 12:11 NU omits in boasting
2 Corinthians 12:11-18
New American Standard Bible
2 Corinthians 12:11-18
New American Standard Bible
11 I have become (A)foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, since I was (B)in no respect inferior to the [a]most eminent apostles, even though (C)I am a nobody. 12 The (D)distinguishing marks [b]of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by [c]signs, wonders, and [d]miracles. 13 For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that (E)I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me (F)this wrong!
14 Here (G)for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I (H)will not be a burden to you; for I (I)do not seek what is yours, but (J)you; for (K)children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but (L)parents for their children. 15 I will (M)most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If (N)I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But be that as it may, I (O)did not burden you myself; nevertheless, devious person that I am, I (P)took you in by deceit. 17 (Q)Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? 18 I (R)urged (S)Titus to go, and I sent (T)the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not [e]conduct ourselves [f]in the same (U)spirit and walk (V)in the same steps?
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- 2 Corinthians 12:11 Or super-apostles
- 2 Corinthians 12:12 Lit of the apostle
- 2 Corinthians 12:12 Or confirming miracles
- 2 Corinthians 12:12 Or works of power
- 2 Corinthians 12:18 Lit walk
- 2 Corinthians 12:18 Or by the same Spirit
2 Corinthians 12:11-18
English Standard Version
2 Corinthians 12:11-18
English Standard Version
Concern for the Corinthian Church
11 (A)I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was (B)not at all inferior to these super-apostles, (C)even though I am nothing. 12 (D)The signs of a true apostle were performed among you (E)with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13 For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that (F)I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!
14 Here (G)for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for (H)I seek not what is yours but you. For (I)children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but (J)parents for their children. 15 (K)I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If (L)I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But granting that (M)I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. 17 Did I take advantage of you (N)through any of those whom I sent to you? 18 (O)I urged Titus to go, and sent (P)the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?
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New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.