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2 Corinthians 11
21st Century King James Version
2 Corinthians 11
21st Century King James Version
11 Would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly — and indeed you do bear with me.
2 For 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.
3 But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For 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.
5 For I consider myself not a whit lower than the very chiefest apostles.
6 Though I am rude in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; for we have been made thoroughly manifest among you in all things.
7 Have I committed an offense in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the Gospel of God without charge?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you and was in want, I was burdensome to no man, for that which I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied; and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so will I keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why so? Because I love you not? God knoweth!
12 But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off occasion from those who desire occasion, that wherein they glory they may be found even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
16 I say again, let no man think me a fool. But if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast of myself a little.
17 (That which I now speak, I speak it not from the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence as boasting.
18 Since many glory in the flesh, I will glory also.)
19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise!
20 For ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage, or if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
21 I speak as reproached, as though we had been weak. However it be, whereinsoever anyone is bold (I speak foolishly), I am bold also.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more — in labors more abundant, in stripes beyond measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.
24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes less one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned; thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day adrift in the deep;
26 in journeyings often, in perils from waters, in perils from robbers, in perils from mine own countrymen, in perils from the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and painfulness, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Besides those things which are external, there is that which cometh upon me daily: the care for all the churches!
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must glory, I will glory in the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me;
33 but I was let down by the wall in a basket through a window, and escaped his hands.
2 Corinthians 11
New International Version
2 Corinthians 11
New International Version
Paul and the False Apostles
11 I hope you will put up with(A) me in a little foolishness.(B) Yes, please put up with me! 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,(C) to Christ, so that I might present you(D) as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning,(E) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached,(F) or if you receive a different spirit(G) from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel(H) from the one you accepted, you put up with it(I) easily enough.
5 I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”[a](J) 6 I may indeed be untrained as a speaker,(K) but I do have knowledge.(L) We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 7 Was it a sin(M) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God(N) to you free of charge?(O) 8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them(P) so as to serve you. 9 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.(Q) I have kept myself from being a burden to you(R) in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,(S) nobody in the regions of Achaia(T) will stop this boasting(U) of mine. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows(V) I do!(W)
12 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 people are false apostles,(X) deceitful(Y) workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.(Z) 14 And no wonder, for Satan(AA) himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.(AB)
Paul Boasts About His Sufferings
16 I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool.(AC) But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. 17 In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would,(AD) but as a fool.(AE) 18 Since many are boasting in the way the world does,(AF) I too will boast.(AG) 19 You gladly put up with(AH) fools since you are so wise!(AI) 20 In fact, you even put up with(AJ) anyone who enslaves you(AK) or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak(AL) for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.(AM) 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I.(AN) Are they Israelites? So am I.(AO) Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.(AP) 23 Are they servants of Christ?(AQ) (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder,(AR) been in prison more frequently,(AS) been flogged more severely,(AT) and been exposed to death again and again.(AU) 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes(AV) minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods,(AW) once I was pelted with stones,(AX) three times I was shipwrecked,(AY) I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews,(AZ) in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city,(BA) in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.(BB) 27 I have labored and toiled(BC) and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food;(BD) I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.(BE) 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?(BF) Who is led into sin,(BG) and I do not inwardly burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast(BH) of the things that show my weakness.(BI) 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever,(BJ) knows(BK) that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.(BL) 33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.(BM)
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 11:5 Or to the most eminent apostles
21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
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