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 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 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.

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 walking in flesh, we do not war according to flesh.

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

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 carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

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;

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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

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

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

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

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

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