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

O that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also do bear with me:

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.

for I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to 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.

and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that in the 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

for if, indeed, he who is coming doth preach another Jesus whom we did not preach, or another Spirit ye receive which ye did not receive, or other good news which ye did not accept -- well were ye bearing,

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

for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,

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.

and even if unlearned in word -- yet not in knowledge, but in every thing we were made manifest in all things to you.

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?

The sin did I do -- myself humbling that ye might be exalted, because freely the good news of God I did proclaim to you?

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

other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;

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.

and being present with you, and having been in want, I was chargeable to no one, for my lack did the brethren supply -- having come from Macedonia -- and in everything burdenless to you I did keep myself, and will keep.

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

The truth of Christ is in me, because this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia;

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

wherefore? because I do not love you? God hath known!

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.

and what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those wishing an occasion, that in that which they boast they may be found according as we also;

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

for those such false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,

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

and no wonder -- for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger 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

no great thing, then, if also his ministrants do transform themselves as ministrants of righteousness -- whose end shall be according to their works.

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.

Again I say, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, even as a fool receive me, that I also a little may boast.

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

That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;

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

since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:

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

for gladly do ye bear with the fools -- being wise,

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.

for ye bear, if any one is bringing you under bondage, if any one doth devour, if any one doth take away, if any one doth exalt himself, if any one on the face doth smite you;

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

in reference to dishonour I speak, how that we were weak, and in whatever any one is bold -- in foolishness I say -- I also am bold.

22 A re they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!

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.

ministrants of Christ are they? -- as beside myself I speak -- I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times;

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

from Jews five times forty save one I did receive;

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;

thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep I have passed;

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;

journeyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brethren;

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

in laboriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness;

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

apart from the things without -- the crowding upon me that is daily -- the care of all the assemblies.

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

Who is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;

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

if to boast it behoveth, of the things of my infirmity I will boast;

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 -- who is blessed to the ages -- hath known that I do not lie! --

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 Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,

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

and through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.