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

I wish you would listen to a little foolish talk from me. Now listen.

2 F or 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.

I am jealous for you with a God-like jealousy. I have given you, as a woman who has never had a man, to one Husband, Who is Christ.

3 B ut 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.

Eve was fooled by the snake in the garden of Eden. In the same way, I am afraid that you will be fooled and led away from your pure love for Christ.

4 F or 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

You listen when someone comes and preaches a different Jesus than the One we preached. You believe what you hear about a different spirit and different good news than that which we preached.

5 F or I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.

I do not think I am less than those special missionaries who are coming to you.

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

Even if it is hard for me to speak, I know what I am talking about. You know this by now.

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

Did I do wrong? I did not ask you for anything when I preached the Good News to you. I made myself poor so you would be made rich.

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

I did take money from other churches. I used it while I worked with you so you would not have to pay me.

9 A nd 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.

Some of the time I had no money when I was with you. But I did not ask you for money. The Christians from the country of Macedonia brought me what I needed. I did not ask you and I will not ask you for anything.

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

As sure as the truth of Christ is in me, I will not stop telling those in the country of Greece that I am proud of this.

11 W hy? Because I do not love you? God knows!

Does it mean I do not love you? God knows I do.

12 B ut 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.

What I am doing now, I will keep on doing. I will do it to stop those who say they work as we do.

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

Those men are false missionaries. They lie about their work. But they make themselves look like true missionaries of Christ.

14 A nd no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

It is no surprise! The devil makes himself look like an angel of light.

15 T herefore 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

And so it is no surprise if his servants also make themselves look like preachers of the Good News. They and their work will come to the same end. What Paul Suffered as a Missionary

16 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.

Let me say it again. Do not think of me as a fool. But if you do, then let this foolish man speak a little about himself.

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

The Lord has not told me to talk about myself. I am foolish when I do talk about myself like this.

18 S eeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.

Since the other men tell you all about themselves, I will talk about myself also.

19 F or you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise!

You are so wise! You put up with fools!

20 F or 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.

You listen to anyone who tells you what to do or makes money off of you or sets a trap for you. You will listen to anyone who makes himself bigger than you or hits you in the face.

21 T o 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

I am ashamed to say that I am weak! But I do not do as they do. Whatever they say about themselves, I can say about myself also. (I know what I am saying sounds foolish.)

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 Jews? So am I. Are they from the family of Israel? So am I. Are they from the family of Abraham? So am I.

23 A re 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.

Do they work for Christ? I have worked for Him much more than they have. (I speak as if I am crazy.) I have done much more work. I have been in prison more times. I cannot remember how many times I have been whipped. Many times I have been in danger of death.

24 F rom the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.

Five different times the Jews whipped me across my back thirty-nine times.

25 T hree 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;

Three times they beat me with sticks. One time they threw stones at me. Three times I was on ships that were wrecked. I spent a day and a night in the water.

26 i n 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;

I have made many hard trips. I have been in danger from high water on rivers. I have been in danger from robbers. I have been in danger from the Jews. I have been in danger from people who do not know God. I have been in danger in cities and in the desert. I have been in danger on the sea. I have been in danger among people who say they belong to Christ but do not.

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

I have worked hard and have been tired and have had pain. I have gone many times without sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. I have gone without food and clothes. I have been out in the cold.

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

More than all these things that have happened to my body, the care of all the churches is heavy on me.

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

When someone is weak, I feel weak also. When someone is led into sin, I have a strong desire to help him.

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

If I must talk about myself, I will do it about the things that show how weak I am.

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

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is to be honored and thanked forever. He knows I am telling the truth.

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

In the city of Damascus the leader of the people under King Aretas put soldiers at the gates to take me.

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

But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and I got away.