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 do bear 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 over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

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 somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in 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 he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different “good news”, which you did not accept, you put up with that well enough.

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

For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best 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 though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed 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 that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of 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 assemblies, taking wages from them that I might 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.

When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I 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, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

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

Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.

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 do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they boast, they may be found even as we.

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, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.

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

And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades 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

It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

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.

I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, 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.

That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, 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.

Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.

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

For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

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 bear with a man, if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, if he strikes you on 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.)

I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

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 the offspring 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 one beside himself) I am more so; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.

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

Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one.

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 suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day 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 in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;

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.

in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

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

Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily, anxiety for all the assemblies.

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, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?

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

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern 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 Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie.

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 governor under King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes desiring to arrest me.

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

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