2 Corinthians 11 Parallel Bible Translations

2 Corinthians 11
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1 I wish you would bear with me [while I indulge] in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me [as you read this]. I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me!
2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy because I have promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.
3 But I am afraid that, even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted and led away from the simplicity of [your sincere and] pure devotion to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
4 For [you seem willing to allow it] if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted. You tolerate all this beautifully [welcoming the deception]. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
5 Yet I consider myself in no way inferior to the [so-called] super-apostles. Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”
6 But even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am not [untrained] in knowledge [I know what I am talking about]; but we have made this evident to you in every way, in all things. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
7 Or did I [perhaps] sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted and honored, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?
8 I robbed other churches by accepting [more than their share of] financial support for my ministry to you. I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you.
9 And when I was with you and ran short [financially], I did not burden any of you; for what I needed was fully supplied by the brothers (Silas and Timothy) who came from Macedonia (the church at Philippi). So I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, my boast [of independence] will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia (southern Greece). As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine.
11 Why? Because I do not love you [or wish you well, or have regard for your welfare]? God knows [that I do]! And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 But what I am doing I will keep doing, [for I am determined to keep this independence] in order to cut off the claim of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things they brag about. And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.
13 For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
15 So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but their end will correspond with their deeds. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
16 I repeat then, let no one think that I am foolish; but even if you do, at least accept me as foolish, so that I too may boast a little. I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting.
17 What I say in this confident boasting, I say not as the Lord would [with His authority], but foolishly. What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
18 Since many boast [of worldly things and brag] about human accomplishments, I will boast too. Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast.
19 For you, being so wise, gladly tolerate and accept the foolish [like me]! For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!
20 For you tolerate it if anyone makes you his slave; or devours you and your possessions; or takes advantage of you; or acts presumptuously; or hits you in the face. For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face.
21 To my shame, I must say, we have been too weak [in comparison to those pseudo-apostles who take advantage of you]. But in whatever anyone else dares to boast—I am speaking foolishly—I also dare to boast. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.
23 Are they [self-proclaimed] servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if I were out of my mind—I am more so [for I exceed them]; with far more labors, with far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, and often in danger of death. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift on the sea; Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
26 many times on journeys, [exposed to] danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own countrymen, danger from the Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger on the sea, danger among those posing as believers; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.
27 in labor and hardship, often unable to sleep, in hunger and thirst, often [driven to] fasting [for lack of food], in cold and exposure [without adequate clothing]. in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
28 Besides those external things, there is the daily [inescapable] pressure of my concern for all the churches. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I do not feel [his] weakness? Who is made to sin, and I am not on fire [with sorrow and concern]? Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that reveal my weakness [the things by which I am made weak in the eyes of my opponents]. If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed and to be praised forevermore, knows that I am not lying. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.
32 In Damascus the governor (ethnarch) under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me, At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.
33 and I was [actually] let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and slipped through his fingers. but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.
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