I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.
Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
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.
But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news” which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough.
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 .
For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.
For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.
But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?
Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.
I robbed other churches, taking wages of them , to do you service.
When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.
And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself .
As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity, that in which they boast, they may be recognized just like us.
But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
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.
I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.
I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.
For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face.
For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you , if a man take of you , if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
To my shame, I speak as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.
I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often.
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies.
Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me.
In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
I was let down in a basket through a window by the wall, and escaped his hands.
And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.