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

¶ I wish 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 the jealousy of God, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to the 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 that as the serpent deceived Eve through his craftiness, so your senses should be corrupted in some way, and ye should fall from the simplicity that is in the 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!

Therefore if anyone comes preaching another Jesus whom we have not preached or if ye receive another spirit from that which ye have received or another gospel from that which ye have accepted, ye bear well with it.

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

¶ I reckon that I have not been inferior in any way to those grandiose 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 am rude in speech, yet not in knowledge, but we have been thoroughly 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 humbling 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 deprived the other congregations, 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 had need, I was not a burden to any of you, for that which was lacking to me was supplied by the brethren which came from Macedonia; 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).

It is the truth of Christ in me that this glory shall not be sealed up unto me in the regions of Achaia.

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

Why? because I do not love you? God knows.

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, I will continue to do that I may take away the occasion from those who desire it to be found like unto us in that in which they glory.

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

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

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

And it is no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself 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 transform themselves as 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 one think me a fool if otherwise, receive me as a fool, that I may yet glory 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 according to the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of glory.

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 it if anyone brings you into bondage, if anyone devours you, if anyone takes of you, if anyone exalts himself, if anyone smites 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 the reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit in that in which another 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 often.

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

Of the Jews five times I received forty stripes less 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;

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned; three times I suffered shipwreck, night and 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 those of my nation, in perils of the Gentiles, 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 labour and travail, in many watches, in hunger and thirst, in many fasts, 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, my daily combat is the welfare of all the congregations.

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 sick, and I am not sick? who stumbles, 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 my weakness.

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, who is blessed for evermore, knows that I do not lie.

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 I was let down by the wall and escaped his hands.