Christian Standard Bible

King James Bible

1I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, do put up with me!

1Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

2For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband--to present a pure virgin to Christ.

2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!

4For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

5Now I consider myself in no way inferior to those "super-apostles."

5For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

6Even if I am untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge. Indeed, we have in every way made that clear to you in everything.

6But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

7Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

7Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

8I robbed other churches by taking pay from them to minister to you.

8I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

9When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, since the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way.

9And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

10As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

10As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

11Why? Because I don't love you? God knows I do!

11Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

12But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about.

12But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.

15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

16I repeat: Let no one consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool so that I can also boast a little.

16I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

17What I am saying in this matter of boasting, I don't speak as the Lord would, but as it were, foolishly.

17That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

18Since many boast according to the flesh, I will also boast.

18Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

19For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools!

19For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

20In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is arrogant toward you, if someone slaps you in the face.

20For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.

21I say this to our shame: We have been too weak for that! But in whatever anyone dares to boast--I am talking foolishly--I also dare:

21I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? So am I.

22Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

23Are they servants of Christ? I'm talking like a madman--I'm a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death.

23Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

24Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews.

24Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea.

25Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers;

26In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing.

27In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches.

28Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

29Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

30If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses.

30If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying.

31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

32In Damascus, a ruler under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me.

32In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

33So I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.

33And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.