Paul's Sufferings as an Apostle

16 I repeat, (A)let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying (B)with this boastful confidence, (C)I say not as the Lord would[a] but as a fool. 18 Since (D)many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, (E)being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone (F)makes slaves of you, or (G)devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or (H)strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, (I)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. 22 Are they Hebrews? (J)So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they (K)servants of Christ? (L)I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, (M)far more imprisonments, (N)with countless beatings, and (O)often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the (P)forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was (Q)beaten with rods. (R)Once I was stoned. Three times I (S)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, (T)danger from my own people, (U)danger from Gentiles, (V)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 (W)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, (X)in hunger and thirst, often without food,[b] in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for (Y)all the churches. 29 (Z)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

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

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:17 Greek not according to the Lord
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:27 Or often in fasting

16 Listen here, let no one think me a tipesh (idiot). But if you do think me a yold (fool), then receive me as a yold that I, too, may boast ki hu zeh (a small amount). [2C 12:6]

17 What I speak in this bitachon of boasting, I speak not according to Moshiach Adoneinu, but as a yold.

18 Als (since) many boast according to the basar, I also will boast.

19 For magnanimously you put up with fools, being such talmidei chachomim yourselves!

20 For you put up with it quite well, if anyone trades you into slavery, if anyone turns you into their supper, if anyone lifts your wallet, if anyone exalts himself into your gontser macher, if anyone gives you a klop in the ponem.

21 To my bushah, I say that we were too weak for that! But, nevertheless, in whatever way anyone may have chutzpah in foolishness, I also will speak with chutzpah.

22 Are they Ivrim? So am I. Are they Yisre’elim? So am I. Are they Zera Avraham? So am I. [Pp 3:5]

23 Are they mesharetei HaMoshiach?‖I am talking like someone who is meshuggah.‖[1C 15:10] I can outdo them: in labors more abundantly, in imprisonments more frequently, in beatings more by far, and often near death.

24 By Yehudim chamash p’amim I had the arba’im lashes minus one! [DEVARIM 25:3]

25 Shloshah p’amim I was beaten with rods, [Ac 16:10] pa’am achat I was stoned [Ac 14:19], shloshah p’amim I was shipwrecked, spending a lailah and a yom in the open sea;

26 In journeys often, in sakanot mavet (mortal danger) from rivers, in sakanot mavet from robbers, in sakanot mavet from my own people [Ac 9:23], in sakanot mavet from Goyim [Ac 14:5], in sakanot mavet in the shtetl, in sakanot mavet in the country, in sakanot mavet in the sea, in sakanot mavet among achei sheker (false brothers);

27 In labor and toil, in watchings, often in famine and thirst, in tzomot often, in cold and nakedness; [2C 6:5];

28 Beside the things from without, there is the pressure on me yom yom, the care of all of Moshiach’s Kehillot.

29 Who is weak and I am not weak? [1C 9:22] Who is caused to fall into chet (sin), and I do not burn?

30 If it is necessary for me to boast, then I will boast of my weaknesses. [2C 12:5]

31 Hashem, Elohim HaAv of HaMoshiach Yehoshua knows (Hamevorach l’olmei olamim!) that I am not speaking sheker. [2C 1:23]

32 In Damascus the Ethnarch under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus to arrest me,

33 And I was let down through the wall through a window in a basket, and escaped his hands. [Ac 9:24-25]

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