1 N ow I myself, Paul, beseech you, by the gentleness and consideration of Christ who lowly enough when among you face to face, but bold (fearless and outspoken) to you when absent from you!

Now 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:

2 I entreat you when I do come that I may not boldness as I intend to show toward those few who suspect us of acting according to the flesh.

But 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.

3 F or though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 F or the weapons of our warfare are not physical, but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,

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

5 r efute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),

Casting 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;

6 B eing in readiness to punish every disobedience, when your own submission and obedience are fully secured and complete.

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

7 L ook at which is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him reflect and remind himself that even as he is Christ’s, so too are we.

Do 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.

8 F or even though I boast rather freely about our power and authority, which the Lord gave for your upbuilding and not for demolishing you, yet I shall not be put to shame,

For 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:

9 N either would I seem to be overawing or frightening you with my letters;

That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

10 F or they say, His letters are weighty and impressive and forceful and telling, but his personality and bodily presence are weak, and his speech and delivery are utterly contemptible (of no account).

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

11 L et such people realize that what we say by letters when we are absent, also into deeds when we are present—

Let 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.

12 N ot that we venture to class or compare ourselves with some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves! However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely.

For 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.

13 W e, on the other hand, will not boast beyond our legitimate province and proper limit, but will keep within the limits God has allotted us as our measuring line and which reaches and includes even you.

But 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.

14 F or we are not overstepping the limits of our province and stretching beyond our ability to reach, as though we reached not (had no legitimate mission) to you, for we were to come even as far as to you with the good news (the Gospel) of Christ.

For 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:

15 W e do not boast therefore, beyond our proper limit, over other men’s labors, but we have the hope and confident expectation that as your faith continues to grow, our field among you may be greatly enlarged, still within the limits of our commission,

Not 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,

16 S o that preach the Gospel in lands beyond you, without making a boast of work already done in another sphere of activity.

To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.

17 H owever, let him who boasts and glories boast and glory in the Lord.

But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

18 F or not who praises and commends himself who is approved and accepted, but whom the Lord accredits and commends.

For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.