1 I wish you would bear with me while I indulge in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!

Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

2 F or I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3 B ut I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 F or if a man comes and preaches another Jesus than the One we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the you received or a different gospel from the one you received and welcomed; you tolerate well enough!

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

5 Y et I consider myself as in no way inferior to these extra-super apostles.

For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

6 B ut even if unskilled in speaking, yet not in knowledge; we have made this evident to you in all things.

But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

7 B ut did I perhaps make a mistake and do you a wrong in debasing and cheapening myself so that you might be exalted and enriched in dignity and honor and happiness by preaching God’s Gospel without expense to you?

Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

8 O ther churches I have robbed by accepting support for my ministry to serve you.

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

9 A nd when I was with you and ran short financially, I did not burden any, for what I lacked was abundantly made up by the brethren who came from Macedonia. So I kept myself from being burdensome to you in any way, and will continue to keep.

And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

10 A s the truth of Christ is in me, this my boast shall not be debarred (silenced or checked) in the regions of Achaia (most of Greece).

As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

11 A nd why? Because I do not love you ? God perceives and knows that I do!

Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

12 B ut what I do, I will continue to do, in order to cut off the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted they work on the same terms that we do.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

13 F or such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah).

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 A nd it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light;

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15 S o it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. their end will correspond with their deeds.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

16 I repeat then, let no one think I have lost my wits; but even if you do, then bear with a witless man, so that I too may boast a little.

I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

17 W hat I say by way of this confident boasting, I say not with the Lord’s authority but, as it were, in pure witlessness.

That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

18 s ince many boast of worldly things and according to the flesh, I will glory (boast) also.

Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

19 F or you readily and gladly bear with the foolish, since you are so smart and wise yourselves!

For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

20 F or you endure it if a man assumes control of your souls and makes slaves of you, or devours and preys upon you, or deceives and takes advantage of you, or is arrogant and puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.

For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.

21 T o my discredit, I must say, we have shown ourselves too weak! But in whatever any person is bold and dares —mind you, I am speaking in this foolish (witless) way—I also am bold and dare.

I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

22 T hey are Hebrews? So am I! They are Israelites? So am I! They are descendants of Abraham? So am I!

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

23 A re they servants of Christ (the Messiah)? I am talking like one beside himself, I am more, with far more extensive and abundant labors, with far more imprisonments, with countless stripes, and frequently death.

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

24 F ive times I received from the Jews forty but one;

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

25 T hree times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been aboard a ship wrecked at sea; a night and a day I have spent on the deep;

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26 M any times on journeys, perils from rivers, perils from bandits, perils from nation, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the desert places, perils in the sea, perils from those posing as believers;

in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 I n toil and hardship, watching often, in hunger and thirst, frequently driven to fasting by want, in cold and exposure and lack of clothing.

in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 A nd besides those things that are without, there is the daily of my care and anxiety for all the churches!

Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

29 W ho is weak, and I do not feel weakness? Who is made to stumble and fall and have his faith hurt, and I am not on fire ?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

30 I f I must boast, I will boast of the things that my infirmity.

If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

31 T he God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ knows, He Who is blessed and to be praised forevermore, that I do not lie.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

32 I n Damascus, the city governor acting under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus to arrest me,

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

33 A nd I was let down in a basket or hamper through a window (a small door) in the wall, and I escaped through his fingers.

and through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.