1 N ow I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!

2 b ut I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.

3 F or though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,

4 ( for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

5 c asting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

6 a nd having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

7 D o ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.

You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.

8 F or though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,

9 t hat I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.

10 F or his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”

11 L et such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.

Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

12 F or we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

13 B ut we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.

14 F or we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:

For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ;

15 n ot boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,

not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you,

16 t o preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand.

so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.

17 B ut he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord.

18 F or not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.