1 W ould that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness: but indeed ye do bear with me.

Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me.

2 F or I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

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

3 B ut I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 F or if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him.

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! Paul and False Apostles

5 F or I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.

6 B ut though I be rude in speech, yet am I not in knowledge; nay, in every way have we made this manifest unto you in all things.

Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.

7 O r did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought?

Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you;

I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you.

9 a nd when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

10 A s the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying in the regions of Achaia.

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

11 W herefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!

12 B ut what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.

13 F or such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.

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

14 A nd no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

15 I t is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. Reluctant Boasting

16 I say again, let no man think me foolish; but if ye do, yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory a little.

I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.

17 T hat which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.

What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

18 S eeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.

19 F or ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.

For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise!

20 F or ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face.

For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.

21 I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also. Suffering for Christ

22 A re they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed 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 ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.

Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.

24 O f the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.

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

Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26 i n journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, 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 labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

28 B esides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches.

besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

29 W ho is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

30 I f I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness.

If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

31 T he God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

32 I n Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me:

In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;

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

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