1 B ut I myself, Paul, entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ, who, as to appearance, mean among you, but absent am bold towards you;

Now 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!

2 b ut I beseech that present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I think to be daring towards some who think of us as walking according to flesh.

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.

3 F or walking in flesh, we do not war according to flesh.

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

4 F or the arms of our warfare not fleshly, but powerful according to God to overthrow of strongholds;

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

5 o verthrowing reasonings and every high thing that lifts itself up against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ;

refute 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),

6 a nd having in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience shall have been fulfilled.

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

7 D o ye look at what concerns appearance? If any one has confidence in himself that he is of Christ, let him think this again in himself, that even as he of Christ, so also we.

Look 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.

8 F or and if I should boast even somewhat more abundantly of our authority, which the Lord has given for building up and not for your overthrowing, I shall not be put to shame;

For 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,

9 t hat I may not seem as if I was frightening you by letters:

Neither would I seem to be overawing or frightening you with my letters;

10 b ecause his letters, he says, weighty and strong, but his presence in the body weak, and his speech naught.

For 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).

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

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

12 F or we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves; but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not intelligent.

Not 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.

13 N ow we will not boast out of measure, but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach to you also.

We, 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.

14 F or we do not, as not reaching to you, overstretch ourselves, (for we have come to you also in the glad tidings of the Christ;)

For 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.

15 n ot boasting out of measure in other people's labours, but having hope, your faith increasing, to be enlarged amongst you, according to our rule, yet more abundantly

We 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,

16 t o announce the glad tidings to that beyond you, not to be boasting in another's rule of things made ready to hand.

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

17 B ut he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord.

However, let him who boasts and glories boast and glory in the Lord.

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

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