| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. | 1Now I, Paul, appeal to you personally by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (I who am meek when present among you, but am full of courage toward you when away!)-- |
| 2But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. | 2now I ask that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence that (I expect) I will dare to use against some who consider us to be behaving according to human standards. |
| 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. | 3For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, |
| 4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, | 4for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments |
| 5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, | 5and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ. |
| 6and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. | 6We are also ready to punish every act of disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. |
| 7Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. | 7You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on this again: Just as he himself belongs to Christ, so too do we. |
| 8For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed— | 8For if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave us for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of doing so. |
| 9lest I seem to terrify you by letters. | 9I do not want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters, |
| 10“For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” | 10because some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak and his speech is of no account." |
| 11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present. | 11Let such a person consider this: What we say by letters when we are absent, we also are in actions when we are present. |
| 12For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. | 12For we would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. |
| 13We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. | 13But we will not boast beyond certain limits, but will confine our boasting according to the limits of the work to which God has appointed us, that reaches even as far as you. |
| 14For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; | 14For we were not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach as far as you, because we were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ. |
| 15not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, | 15Nor do we boast beyond certain limits in the work done by others, but we hope that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded among you according to our limits, |
| 16to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment. | 16so that we may preach the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast of work already done in another person's area. |
| 17But “he who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” | 17But the one who boasts must boast in the Lord. |
| 18For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. | 18For it is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person the Lord commends. |
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