Paul Defends His Apostleship
1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
1 I wish that you would (A)bear with me in a little (B)foolishness; but (a)indeed you are bearing with me.
1 I wish you would tolerate a little of my foolishness. Yes, please tolerate me!
1 I wish you would bear with me [while I indulge] in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me [as you read this].
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.
2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I (C)betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might (D)present you as a pure virgin.
2 For I am jealous(B) over you with a godly jealousy,(C) because I have promised you in marriage to one husband—to present a pure(D) virgin to Christ.
2 I am jealous of you with God's own jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to the Messiah.
3 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.
3 But I am afraid that, as the (E)serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
3 But I fear that, as the serpent(E) deceived(F) Eve(G) by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a complete and pure(b) devotion to Christ.(H)
3 However, I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from sincere and pure devotion to the Messiah.
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.
4 For if (b)one comes and preaches (F)another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a (G)different spirit which you have not received, or a (H)different gospel which you have not accepted, you (I)bear this (J)beautifully.
4 For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus,(I) whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit,(J) which you had not received, or a different gospel,(K) which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!
4 For if someone comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or should you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you are all too willing to listen.
4 For [you seem willing to allow it] if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted. You tolerate all this beautifully [welcoming the deception].
6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
6 But even if I am (L)unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in (M)knowledge; in fact, in every way we have (N)made this evident to you in all things.
6 Though untrained in public speaking,(M) I am certainly not untrained in knowledge.(N) Indeed, we have always made that clear to you in everything.
6 Even though I may be untrained as an orator, I am not so in the field of knowledge. We have made this clear to all of you in every possible way.
7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
7 Or (O)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the (P)gospel of God to you (Q)without charge?
7 Or did I commit a sin by humbling(O) myself so that you might be exalted,(P) because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?(Q)
7 Did I commit a sin when I humbled myself by proclaiming to you the gospel of God free of charge, so that you could be exalted?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
8 I robbed other churches by taking pay from them to minister to you.
8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you.
8 I robbed other churches by accepting [more than their share of] financial support for my ministry to you.
9 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.
9 and when I was present with you and was in need, I was (S)not a burden to anyone; for when (T)the brethren came from (U)Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from (V)being a burden to you, (d)and will continue to do so.
9 When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia(R) supplied my needs.(S) I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way.
9 When I was with you and needed something, I did not bother any of you, because our brothers who came from Macedonia supplied everything I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
10 (W)As the truth of Christ is in me, (X)this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of (Y)Achaia.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped(c) in the regions of Achaia.(T)
10 As surely as the truth of the Messiah is in me, my boasting will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, my boast [of independence] will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia (southern Greece).
12 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.
12 But what I am doing I will continue to do, (AB)so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be (e)regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.
12 But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny(d) the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as our equals in what they boast about.
12 But I will go on doing what I'm doing in order to deny an opportunity to those people who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in the work they are boasting about.
12 But what I am doing I will keep doing, [for I am determined to keep this independence] in order to cut off the claim of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things they brag about.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
13 For such men are (AC)false apostles, (AD)deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
13 For such people are false apostles,(U) deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
13 Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who are masquerading as apostles of the Messiah.
13 For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
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.
15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, (AG)whose end will be according to their deeds.
15 So it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their destiny(e) will be according to their works.(V)
15 So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom will match their deeds!
15 So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but their end will correspond with their deeds.
Paul Boasts In His Sufferings
16 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.
16 (AH)Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little.
16 I repeat: No one should consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool, so I too may boast a little.
16 I will say it again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then treat me like a fool so that I can also boast a little.
16 I repeat then, let no one think that I am foolish; but even if you do, at least accept me as foolish, so that I too may boast a little.
17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
17 What I am saying, I am not saying (f)(AI)as the Lord would, but as (AJ)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
17 When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord's authority but like a fool.
17 What I say in this confident boasting, I say not as the Lord would [with His authority], but foolishly.
20 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.
20 For you tolerate it if anyone (AN)enslaves you, anyone (AO)devours you, anyone (AP)takes advantage of you, anyone (AQ)exalts himself, anyone (AR)hits you in the face.
20 In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours(X) you, if someone captures you, if someone dominates you, or if someone hits(Y) you in the face.
20 You tolerate anyone who makes you his slaves, devours what you have, takes what is yours, orders you around, or slaps your face!
20 For you tolerate it if anyone makes you his slave; or devours you and your possessions; or takes advantage of you; or acts presumptuously; or hits you in the face.
21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
21 To my (AS)shame I must say that we have been (AT)weak by comparison.But in whatever respect anyone else (AU)is bold—I (AV)speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself.
21 I say this to our shame: We have been weak.But in whatever anyone dares to boast—I am talking foolishly—I also dare:
21 I am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim I am talking like a fool I can claim it, too.
21 To my shame, I must say, we have been too weak [in comparison to those pseudo-apostles who take advantage of you].But in whatever anyone else dares to boast—I am speaking foolishly—I also dare to boast.
22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
22 Are they (AW)Hebrews? (AX)So am I. Are they (AY)Israelites? (AZ)So am I. Are they (g)(BA)descendants of Abraham? (BB)So am I.
22 Are they Hebrews?(Z) So am I.Are they Israelites? So am I.Are they the seed of Abraham?(AA) So am I.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelis? So am I. Are they among Abraham's descendants? So am I.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23 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.
23 Are they (BC)servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in (h)(BD)far more labors, in (i)(BE)far more imprisonments, (j)(BF)beaten times without number, often in (BG)danger of death.
23 Are they servants of Christ?I’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one:with far more labors,many more imprisonments,far worse beatings, near death(h) many times.
23 Are they the Messiah's servants? I am insane to talk like this, but I am a far better one! I have been involved in far greater efforts, far more imprisonments, countless beatings, and have faced death more than once.
23 Are they [self-proclaimed] servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if I were out of my mind—I am more so [for I exceed them]; with far more labors, with far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, and often in danger of death.
25 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;
25 Three times I was (BI)beaten with rods, once I was (BJ)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans.(AC)Once I was stoned by my enemies.(i)(AD)Three times I was shipwrecked.(AE)I have spent a night and a dayin the open sea.
25 Three times I was beaten with a stick, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, and I drifted on the sea for a day and a night.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift on the sea;
26 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;
26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my (BK)countrymen, dangers from the (BL)Gentiles, dangers in the (BM)city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among (BN)false brethren;
26 On frequent journeys, I faceddangers from rivers,dangers from robbers,(AF)dangers from my own people,(AG)dangers from the Gentiles,dangers in the city,dangers in the open country,dangers on the sea,and dangers among false brothers;
26 I have traveled extensively and have been endangered from rivers, robbers, my own people, and gentiles. I've also been in danger in the city, in the open country, at sea, from false brothers,
26 many times on journeys, [exposed to] danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own countrymen, danger from the Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger on the sea, danger among those posing as believers;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
27 I have been in (BO)labor and hardship, (k)through many sleepless nights, in (BP)hunger and thirst, often (BQ)without food, in cold and (l)(BR)exposure.
27 labor and hardship,many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst,often without food, cold, and lacking clothing.(AH)
27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger, thirst, many periods of fasting, coldness, and nakedness.
27 in labor and hardship, often unable to sleep, in hunger and thirst, often [driven to] fasting [for lack of food], in cold and exposure [without adequate clothing].
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
28 Apart from such (m)external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for (BS)all the churches.
28 Besides everything else, I have a daily burden because of my anxiety about all the churches.
28 Besides those external things, there is the daily [inescapable] pressure of my concern for all the churches.
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
30 If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses.
30 If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show how weak I am.
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that reveal my weakness [the things by which I am made weak in the eyes of my opponents].
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, (BV)He who is blessed forever, (BW)knows that I am not lying.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed and to be praised forevermore, knows that I am not lying.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
32 In (BX)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was (BY)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,
32 In Damascus,(AK) the governor under King Aretas(k) guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me,
32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas put guards around the city of Damascus to catch me,