18NOT FOR THE [ONE] HIMSELF COMMENDING, THIS [ONE] IS APPROVED, BUT [THE ONE] WHOM THE LORD COMMENDS. 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
1I WISH YOU WERE BEARING WITH ME LITTLE A <THE> OF FOOLISHNESS; BUT INDEED YOU DO ENDURE ME. Paul and the False Apostles 1I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that.
2I AM JEALOUS AS TO FOR YOU OF GOD WITH [THE] JEALOUSY; I HAVE BETROTHED FOR YOU TO ONE HUSBAND A VIRGIN PURE TO PRESENT <THE> TO CHRIST, 2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
3I AM AFRAID HOWEVER LEST PERHAPS AS THE SERPENT DECEIVED EVE IN THE CRAFTINESS OF HIM, THUS MAY BE CORRUPTED THE MINDS OF YOU FROM THE SIMPLICITY AND THE PURITY <THE> IN <THE> CHRIST. 3I am afraid however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.
4IF INDEED FOR THE [ONE] COMING ANOTHER JESUS PROCLAIMS WHOM NOT WE DID PROCLAIM, OR A SPIRIT DIFFERENT YOU RECEIVE WHICH NOT YOU DID RECEIVE, OR GLAD TIDINGS DIFFERENT WHICH NOT YOU DID ACCEPT, WELL YOU ARE ENDURING [IT]. 4For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it very easily.
5I RECKON FOR IN NOTHING TO HAVE BEEN INFERIOR TO THOSE MOST EMINENT APOSTLES. 5I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles. ”
6IF HOWEVER EVEN UNPOLISHED <THE> IN SPEECH [I AM], YET NOT <THE> IN KNOWLEDGE, BUT IN EVERY [WAY] WERE MANIFESTED IN ALL THINGS TO YOU. 6Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every way possible.
7OR A SIN DID I COMMIT MYSELF HUMBLING SO THAT YOU YOURSELVES MAY BE EXALTED, BECAUSE FREELY THE <THE> OF GOD GOSPEL I EVANGELISED TO YOU? 7Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
8OTHER CHURCHES I ROBBED HAVING RECEIVED SUPPORT FOR THE TOWARD YOU SERVICE, 8I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you.
9AND BEING PRESENT WITH YOU AND HAVING BEEN IN NEED NOT I DID BURDEN NO [ONE]; <THE> FOR THE NEED OF MINE COMPLETELY FILLED UP THE BROTHERS HAVING COME FROM MACEDONIA, AND IN EVERYTHING UNBURDENSOME MYSELF TO YOU I KEPT AND WILL KEEP. 9And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.
10IS [THE] TRUTH OF CHRIST IN ME MYSELF THAT <THE> BOASTING THIS NOT WILL BE STOPPED OF MINE IN THE REGIONS <THE> OF ACHAIA. 10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
11BECAUSE OF WHY? BECAUSE SURELY I DO LOVE YOU? <THE> GOD KNOWS [I DO]! 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12WHAT HOWEVER I DO, ALSO I WILL DO, SO THAT I MAY CUT OFF THE OPPORTUNITY OF THOSE DESIRING AN OPPORTUNITY THAT IN WHAT THEY ARE BOASTING, THEY MAY BE FOUND EVEN AS ALSO WE OURSELVES. 12But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast.
13<THE> FOR SUCH [ARE] FALSE APOSTLES, WORKERS DECEITFUL, DISGUISING THEMSELVES AS APOSTLES OF CHRIST; 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
14AND NO WONDER; HIMSELF FOR <THE> SATAN MASQUERADES AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT; 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
15[IT IS] NOT SURPRISING THEREFORE IF EVEN THE SERVANTS OF HIM MASQUERADE AS SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHOSE <THE> END WILL BE ACCORDING TO THE DEEDS OF THEM. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.
16AGAIN I SAY, NO ONE ME MAY THINK A FOOL TO BE; LEST THEN EXCEPT INDEED EVEN AS A FOOL DO RECEIVE ME, THAT I MYSELF ALSO LITTLE A MAY BOAST. Paul’s Suffering and Service (Colossians 1:24–29) 16I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
17WHAT I AM SAYING, NOT ACCORDING TO [THE] LORD AM I SAYING BUT AS IN FOOLISHNESS, IN THIS THE CONFIDENCE <THE> OF BOASTING. 17In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
18SINCE MANY BOAST ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, I MYSELF ALSO WILL BOAST. 18Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.
19GLADLY FOR YOU BEAR WITH <THE> FOOLS, WISE BEING! 19For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise.
20YOU BEAR [IT] FOR IF ANYONE YOU ENSLAVES, IF ANYONE DEVOURS [YOU], IF ANYONE TAKES [FROM YOU], IF ANYONE EXALTS HIMSELF, IF ANYONE IN [THE] FACE YOU STRIKES. 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face.
21AS TO DISHONOR I SPEAK, AS THAT WE OURSELVES HAVE BEEN WEAK! IN WHATEVER HOWEVER MAYBE ANYONE MAY BE DARING — IN FOOLISHNESS I SPEAK — AM DARING I MYSELF ALSO. 21To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.
22HEBREWS ARE THEY? I MYSELF ALSO; ISRAELITES ARE THEY? I MYSELF ALSO; DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM ARE THEY? I MYSELF ALSO; 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23SERVANTS OF CHRIST ARE THEY? AS BEING BESIDE MYSELF I SPEAK; ABOVE [MEASURE] I MYSELF[AM]. IN LABORS MORE ABUNDANTLY IN IMPRISONMENTS MORE ABUNDANTLY, IN BEATINGS ABOVE MEASURE, IN DEATHS OFTEN. 23Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.
24FROM [THE] JEWS FIVE TIMES FORTY [LASHES] MINUS ONE I RECEIVED, 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25THREE TIMES I WAS BEATEN WITH RODS, ONCE I WAS STONED, THREE TIMES I WAS SHIPWRECKED, A NIGHT AND A DAY IN THE DEEP [SEA] I HAVE PASSED; 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.
26IN JOURNEYINGS OFTEN, IN PERILS OF RIVERS, IN PERILS OF ROBBERS, IN PERILS FROM [MY OWN] RACE, IN PERILS FROM [THE] GENTILES, IN PERILS IN [THE] CITY, IN PERILS IN [THE] WILDERNESS, IN PERILS ON [THE] SEA, IN PERILS AMONG FALSE BROTHERS, 26In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,
27IN LABOR AND TOIL, IN WATCHINGS OFTEN, IN HUNGER AND THIRST, IN FASTINGS OFTEN, IN COLD AND NAKEDNESS; 27in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.
28BESIDES THE [THINGS] EXTERNAL THE STOPPAGE ON ME <THE> ON EVERY DAY <THE> [IS MY] CARE FOR ALL THE CHURCHES. 28Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
29WHO IS WEAK, AND NOT I AM WEAK? WHO IS LED INTO SIN, AND SURELY I MYSELF DO BURN INWARDLY? 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief?
30IF TO BOAST IT BEHOOVES [ME], [IN] THE [THINGS] OF THE WEAKNESS OF MINE I WILL BOAST. 30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
31THE GOD AND FATHER OF THE LORD OF US JESUS CHRIST KNOWS, WHO IS BEING BLESSED TO THE AGES, THAT NOT I AM LYING. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise,*NoteCloseOr forever blessed knows that I am not lying.
32IN DAMASCUS THE GOVERNOR UNDER ARETAS THE KING WAS GUARDING THE CITY OF THE DAMASCENES TO SEIZE ME WISHING 32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
33BUT THROUGH A WINDOW IN A BASKET I WAS LET DOWN THROUGH THE WALL AND I ESCAPED THE HANDS OF HIM. 33But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.