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

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.

2 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.

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.

3 E ve 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.

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

4 Y ou 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.

For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

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

For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.

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

But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.

7 D id 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.

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?

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

I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you;

9 S ome 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.

and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.

10 A s 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.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

11 D oes it mean I do not love you? God knows I do.

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

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

But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.

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

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

14 I t is no surprise! The devil makes himself look like an angel of light.

No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

15 A nd 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

Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

16 L et 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.

Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little.

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

What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

18 S ince the other men tell you all about themselves, I will talk about myself also.

Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also.

19 Y ou are so wise! You put up with fools!

For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly.

20 Y ou 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.

For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face.

21 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.)

To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold—I speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself.

22 A re 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.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

23 D o 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.

Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.

24 F ive different times the Jews whipped me across my back thirty-nine times.

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

25 T hree 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.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

26 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.

I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;

27 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.

I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

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

Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

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

Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

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

If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.

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

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

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

In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,

33 B ut I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and I got away.

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