1 A nd I, Paul, myself, do call upon you -- through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ -- who in presence, indeed humble among you, and being absent, have courage toward you,

Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!

2 a nd I beseech, that, being present, I may not have courage, with the confidence with which I reckon to be bold against certain reckoning us as walking according to the flesh;

I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.

3 f or walking in the flesh, not according to the flesh do we war,

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,

4 f or the weapons of our warfare not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds,

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

5 r easonings bringing down, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ,

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

6 a nd being in readiness to avenge every disobedience, whenever your obedience may be fulfilled.

and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

7 T he things in presence do ye see? if any one hath trusted in himself to be Christ's, this let him reckon again from himself, that according as he is Christ's, so also we Christ's;

You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.

8 f or even if also anything more abundantly I shall boast concerning our authority, that the Lord gave us for building up, and not for casting you down, I shall not be ashamed;

For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,

9 t hat I may not seem as if I would terrify you through the letters,

for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.

10 ` because the letters indeed -- saith one -- weighty and strong, and the bodily presence weak, and the speech despicable.'

For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”

11 T his one -- let him reckon thus: that such as we are in word, through letters, being absent, such also, being present, in deed.

Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

12 F or we do not make bold to rank or to compare ourselves with certain of those commending themselves, but they, among themselves measuring themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise,

For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

13 a nd we in regard to the unmeasured things will not boast ourselves, but after the measure of the line that the God of measure did appoint to us -- to reach even unto you;

But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.

14 f or not as not reaching to you do we stretch ourselves overmuch, for even unto you did we come in the good news of the Christ,

For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ;

15 n ot boasting of the things not measured, in other men's labours, and having hope -- your faith increasing -- in you to be enlarged, according to our line -- into abundance,

not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you,

16 i n the beyond you to proclaim good news, not in another's line in regard to the things made ready, to boast;

so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.

17 a nd he who is boasting -- in the Lord let him boast;

But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord.

18 f or not he who is commending himself is approved, but he whom the Lord doth commend.

For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.