International Standard Version

King James Bible

1I wish you would tolerate a little of my foolishness. Yes, please tolerate me!

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

2I am jealous of you with God's own jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to the Messiah.

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.

3However, I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from sincere and pure devotion to the Messiah.

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 someone comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or should you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you are all too willing to listen.

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.

5I do not think I'm inferior in any way to those "super-apostles."

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

6Even though I may be untrained as an orator, I am not so in the field of knowledge. We have made this clear to all of you in every possible way.

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

7Did I commit a sin when I humbled myself by proclaiming to you the gospel of God free of charge, so that you could be exalted?

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 accepting support from them in order to serve you.

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

9When I was with you and needed something, I did not bother any of you, because our brothers who came from Macedonia supplied everything I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

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 surely as the truth of the Messiah is in me, my boasting will not be silenced 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 do not love you? God knows that I do!

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

12But I will go on doing what I'm doing in order to deny an opportunity to those people who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in the work they are boasting 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.

13Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who are masquerading as apostles of the Messiah.

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

14And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

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

15So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom will match their deeds!

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 will say it again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then treat me like 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.

17When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord's authority but like a fool.

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

18Since many people boast in a fleshly way, I will do it, too.

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

19You are wise, so you will gladly be tolerant of fools.

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

20You tolerate anyone who makes you his slaves, devours what you have, takes what is yours, orders you around, or slaps your 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 am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim—I am talking like a fool—I can claim it, too.

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 Israelis? So am I. Are they among Abraham's descendants? 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 the Messiah's servants? I am insane to talk like this, but I am a far better one! I have been involved in far greater efforts, far more imprisonments, countless beatings, and have faced death more than once.

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 from the Jews 40 lashes minus one.

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

25Three times I was beaten with a stick, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, and I drifted on the sea for a day and a night.

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;

26I have traveled extensively and have been endangered from rivers, robbers, my own people, and gentiles. I've also been in danger in the city, in the open country, at sea, from 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;

27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger, thirst, many periods of fasting, coldness, and nakedness.

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

28Besides everything else, I have a daily burden because of my anxiety about all the churches.

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

29Who is weak without me being weak, too? Who is caused to stumble without me becoming indignant?

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

30If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show how weak I am.

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 that 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, the governor under King Aretas put guards around the city of Damascus to catch me,

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

33but I was let down in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped from him.

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

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.