1 Put up with me if I am a little foolish: but, truly, you do put up with me.
2 For I have a very great care for you: because you have been married by me to one husband, and it is my desire to give you completely holy to Christ.
3 But I have a fear, that in some way, as Eve was tricked by the deceit of the snake, your minds may be turned away from their simple and holy love for Christ.
4 For if anyone comes preaching another Jesus from the one whose preachers we are, or if you have got a different spirit, or a different sort of good news from those which came to you, how well you put up with these things.
5 For in my opinion, I am in no way less than the most important of the Apostles.
6 But though I am rough in my way of talking, I am not so in knowledge, as we have made clear to all by our acts among you.
7 Or did I do wrong in making myself low so that you might be lifted up, because I gave you the good news of God without reward?
8 I took money from other churches as payment for my work, so that I might be your servant;
9 And when I was present with you, and was in need, I let no man be responsible for me; for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, gave me whatever was needed; and in everything I kept myself from being a trouble to you, and I will go on doing so.
10 As the true word of Christ is in me, I will let no man take from me this my cause of pride in the country of Achaia.
11 Why? because I have no love for you? let God be judge.
12 But what I do, that I will go on doing, so that I may give no chance to those who are looking for one; so that, in the cause of their pride, they may be seen to be the same as we are.
13 For such men are false Apostles, workers of deceit, making themselves seem like Apostles of Christ.
14 And it is no wonder; for even Satan himself is able to take the form of an angel of light.
15 So it is no great thing if his servants make themselves seem to be servants of righteousness; whose end will be the reward of their works.
16 I say again, Let me not seem foolish to anyone; but if I do, put up with me as such, so that I may take a little glory to myself.
17 What I am now saying is not by the order of the Lord, but as a foolish person, taking credit to myself, as it seems.
18 Seeing that there are those who take credit to themselves after the flesh, I will do the same.
19 For you put up with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.
20 You put up with a man if he makes servants of you, if he makes profit out of you, if he makes you prisoners, if he puts himself in a high place, if he gives you blows on the face.
21 I say this by way of shaming ourselves, as if we had been feeble. But if anyone puts himself forward (I am talking like a foolish person), I will do the same.
22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they of Israel? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking foolishly) I am more so; I have had more experience of hard work, of prisons, of blows more than measure, of death.
24 Five times the Jews gave me forty blows but one.
25 Three times I was whipped with rods, once I was stoned, three times the ship I was in came to destruction at sea, a night and a day I have been in the water;
26 In frequent travels, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from outlaws, in dangers from my countrymen, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the town, in dangers in the waste land, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers;
27 In hard work and weariness, in frequent watchings, going without food and drink, cold and in need of clothing.
28 In addition to all the other things, there is that which comes on me every day, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is feeble and I am not feeble? who is in danger of falling, and I am not angry?
30 If I have to take credit to myself, I will do so in the things in which I am feeble.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever, is witness that the things which I say are true.
32 In Damascus, the ruler under Aretas the king kept watch over the town of the people of Damascus, in order to take me:
33 And being let down in a basket from the wall through a window, I got free from his hands.
1 Would that ye would bear with me {in} a little folly; but indeed bear with me.
2 For I am jealous as to you with a jealousy {which is} of God; for I have espoused you unto one man, to present {you} a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craft, {so} your thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to the Christ.
4 For if indeed he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye get a different Spirit, which ye have not got, or a different glad tidings, which ye have not received, ye might well bear with {it}.
5 For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles.
6 But if {I am} a simple person in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything making {the truth} manifest in all things to you.
7 Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that *ye* might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings of God?
8 I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you.
9 And being present with you and lacking, I did not lazily burden any one, (for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what I lacked,) and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep myself.
10 {The} truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to me in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? because I do not love you? God knows.
12 But what I do, I will also do, that I may cut off the opportunity of those wishing {for} an opportunity, that wherein they boast they may be found even as we.
13 For such {are} false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And {it is} not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16 Again I say, Let not any one think me to be a fool; but if otherwise, receive me then even as a fool, that *I* also may boast myself some little.
17 What I speak I do not speak according to {the} Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Since many boast according to flesh, *I* also will boast.
19 For ye bear fools readily, being wise.
20 For ye bear if any one bring you into bondage, if any one devour {you}, if any one get {your money}, if any one exalt himself, if any one beat you on the face.
21 I speak as to dishonour, as though *we* had been weak; but wherein any one is daring, (I speak in folly,) *I* also am daring.
22 Are they Hebrews? *I* also. Are they Israelites? *I* also. Are they seed of Abraham? *I* also.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as being beside myself) *I* above measure {so}; in labours exceedingly abundant, in stripes to excess, in prisons exceedingly abundant, in deaths oft.
24 From the Jews five times have I received forty {stripes}, save one.
25 Thrice have I been scourged, once I have been stoned, three times I have suffered shipwreck, a night and day I passed in the deep:
26 in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from {my own} race, in perils from {the} nations, in perils in {the} city, in perils in {the} desert, in perils on {the} sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in labour and toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Besides those things that are without, the crowd {of cares} pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I burn not?
30 If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows-he who is blessed for ever-that I do not lie.
32 In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me;
33 and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.