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

I wish you would bear with me while I indulge in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!

2 f or I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ,

For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3 a nd 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;

But I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

4 f or 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,

For if a man comes and preaches another Jesus than the One we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the you received or a different gospel from the one you received and welcomed; you tolerate well enough!

5 f or I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,

Yet I consider myself as in no way inferior to these extra-super apostles.

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

But even if unskilled in speaking, yet not in knowledge; we have made this evident to you in all things.

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

But did I perhaps make a mistake and do you a wrong in debasing and cheapening myself so that you might be exalted and enriched in dignity and honor and happiness by preaching God’s Gospel without expense to you?

8 o ther assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;

Other churches I have robbed by accepting support for my ministry to serve you.

9 a nd 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.

And when I was with you and ran short financially, I did not burden any, for what I lacked was abundantly made up by the brethren who came from Macedonia. So I kept myself from being burdensome to you in any way, and will continue to keep.

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

As the truth of Christ is in me, this my boast shall not be debarred (silenced or checked) in the regions of Achaia (most of Greece).

11 w herefore? because I do not love you? God hath known!

And why? Because I do not love you ? God perceives and knows that I do!

12 a nd 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;

But what I do, I will continue to do, in order to cut off the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted they work on the same terms that we do.

13 f or those such false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah).

14 a nd no wonder -- for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger of light;

And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light;

15 n o great thing, then, if also his ministrants do transform themselves as ministrants of righteousness -- whose end shall be according to their works.

So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. their end will correspond with their deeds.

16 A gain 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.

I repeat then, let no one think I have lost my wits; but even if you do, then bear with a witless man, so that I too may boast a little.

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

What I say by way of this confident boasting, I say not with the Lord’s authority but, as it were, in pure witlessness.

18 s ince many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:

since many boast of worldly things and according to the flesh, I will glory (boast) also.

19 f or gladly do ye bear with the fools -- being wise,

For you readily and gladly bear with the foolish, since you are so smart and wise yourselves!

20 f or 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;

For you endure it if a man assumes control of your souls and makes slaves of you, or devours and preys upon you, or deceives and takes advantage of you, or is arrogant and puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.

21 i n 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.

To my discredit, I must say, we have shown ourselves too weak! But in whatever any person is bold and dares —mind you, I am speaking in this foolish (witless) way—I also am bold and dare.

22 H ebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!

They are Hebrews? So am I! They are Israelites? So am I! They are descendants of Abraham? So am I!

23 m inistrants 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;

Are they servants of Christ (the Messiah)? I am talking like one beside himself, I am more, with far more extensive and abundant labors, with far more imprisonments, with countless stripes, and frequently death.

24 f rom Jews five times forty save one I did receive;

Five times I received from the Jews forty but one;

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

Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been aboard a ship wrecked at sea; a night and a day I have spent on the deep;

26 j ourneyings 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;

Many times on journeys, perils from rivers, perils from bandits, perils from nation, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the desert places, perils in the sea, perils from those posing as believers;

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

In toil and hardship, watching often, in hunger and thirst, frequently driven to fasting by want, in cold and exposure and lack of clothing.

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

And besides those things that are without, there is the daily of my care and anxiety for all the churches!

29 W ho is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;

Who is weak, and I do not feel weakness? Who is made to stumble and fall and have his faith hurt, and I am not on fire ?

30 i f to boast it behoveth, of the things of my infirmity I will boast;

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that my infirmity.

31 t he God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ -- who is blessed to the ages -- hath known that I do not lie! --

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ knows, He Who is blessed and to be praised forevermore, that I do not lie.

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

In Damascus, the city governor acting under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus to arrest me,

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

And I was let down in a basket or hamper through a window (a small door) in the wall, and I escaped through his fingers.