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

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

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,

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.

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;

Eve 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.

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,

You 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.

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

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

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.

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

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?

Did 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.

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

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

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.

Some 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.

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 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.

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

Does it mean I do not love you? God knows 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;

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

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

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

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

It is no surprise! The devil makes himself look like 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.

And 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

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.

Let 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.

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

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

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

Since the other men tell you all about themselves, I will talk about myself also.

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

You are so wise! You put up with fools!

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;

You 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.

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.

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.)

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

Are 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.

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;

Do 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.

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

Five different times the Jews whipped me across my back thirty-nine times.

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 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.

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;

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 our Lord Jesus Christ is to be honored and thanked forever. He knows I am telling the truth.

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

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

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

But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and I got away.