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2 Corinthians 11
Revised Geneva Translation
2 Corinthians 11
Revised Geneva Translation
11 Would to God you could suffer a little of my foolishness, and indeed, suffer me.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have prepared you for one husband; to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
3 Yet I fear, however, that just as the serpent tricked Eve through his subtlety, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if someone comes, preaching another Jesus whom we have not preached - or if you receive another spirit whom you have not received, or another gospel which you have not received - you might well tolerate him.
5 For I suppose that I am not inferior to the very chief Apostles.
6 And though I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge. And among you we have made ourselves clearly understood in all things.
7 Have I committed an offense because I abased myself, that you might be exalted; and because I freely preached to you the Gospel of God?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and had need, I was not a hindrance to anyone. For that which I was lacking, the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied. And in all things, I have myself from being burdensome to you, and will keep doing so.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this rejoicing shall not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.
12 But what I do I will do so that I may cut off the opportunity of those who desire the opportunity to be found like us in that of which they boast.
13 For such false apostles are deceitful workers and transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ.
14 And it is no wonder; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore, it is no great thing for his ministers to transform themselves, as though they were the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
16 I say again, let no one think that I am foolish, (or even take me as a fool) that I may also boast of myself a little.
17 What I speak, I do not speak according to the Lord but, as it were, foolishly, while we are boasting.
18 Seeing that many rejoice after the flesh, I will rejoice also.
19 For you endure fools gladly, because you are wise.
20 For you endure, even if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes from you, if someone exalts himself, if someone strikes you on the face.
21 Concerning dishonor I speak as though we were weak. But wherein anyone is bold (I speak foolishly) I am bold also.
22 They are Hebrews, so am I. They are Israelites, so am I. They are the seed of Abraham, so am I.
23 They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as a fool) I am more; In labors, more abundant; in stripes, above measure, in prison, more exceedingly; in death often.
24 Five times I have received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. I was once stoned. I suffered shipwreck three times. Night and day, I have been on the deep sea.
26 While journeying I was often in perils from waters, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils among the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brothers,
27 in weariness and painfulness, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and in nakedness.
28 Besides outward things, I am daily-laden, and care for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I do not burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of my infirmities.
31 The God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is blessed for evermore, knows that I do not lie.
32 In Damascus, the governor of the people under King Aretas, posted a guard over the city of the Damascenes, and would have caught me.
33 But at a window, I was let down in a basket, through the wall, 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
Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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