1 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Indeed, you are bearing with me.

Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to 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.

3 But I am afraid that, just as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your minds may be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to 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.

4 For if someone comes and preaches a Jesus other than the one we preached, 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 easily 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.

5 I do not consider myself in any way inferior to these 'super-apostles.'

For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this clear to you in every way and 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.

7 Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you 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?

8 I robbed other churches by taking support from them to serve you.

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

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. I have kept and will continue to keep myself from being a burden to you in any way.

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.

10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced 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.

11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing, so that I can cut off the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about.

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.

13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their deeds.

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 repeat, let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me as you would a fool, so that I too 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.

17 What I am saying, I do not say as from the Lord, but as if in foolishness, with 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.

18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.

Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

19 For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise.

For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

20 In fact, you put up with anyone who enslaves you, devours you, takes advantage of you, exalts himself, or strikes you in 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.

21 To my shame, I must admit that we were too weak for that! Yet whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking like a fool—I also dare to boast.

I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

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 the seed of Abraham? so am I.

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more so: in labors more abundant, in stripes beyond measure, in prisons more frequently, 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.

24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

25 Three 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.

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;

26 I have been constantly on the move: in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own people, in dangers from Gentiles; in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, and in dangers among false believers.

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;

27 I have labored and toiled and often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my concern for all the churches.

Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded to arrest me,

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.