2Cor.11.1

Will you put up with a little foolish aside from me? Please, just for a moment.

2Cor.11.1

I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that.

2Cor.11.1

Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly--and indeed you do bear with me.

2Cor.11.1

I hope you will be patient with me as I keep on talking like a fool. Please bear with me.

2Cor.11.2

The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much--this is the passion of God burning inside me! I promised your hand in marriage to Christ, presented you as a pure virgin to her husband.

2Cor.11.2

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

2Cor.11.2

For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

2Cor.11.2

I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. For I promised you as a pure bride to one husband, Christ.

2Cor.11.3

And now I'm afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth patter, you are being lured away from the simple purity of your love for Christ.

2Cor.11.3

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

2Cor.11.3

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

2Cor.11.3

But I fear that somehow you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent.

2Cor.11.4

It seems that if someone shows up preaching quite another Jesus than we preached--different spirit, different message--you put up with him quite nicely.

2Cor.11.4

For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

2Cor.11.4

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!

2Cor.11.4

You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

2Cor.11.5

But if you put up with these big-shot "apostles," why can't you put up with simple me? I'm as good as they are.

2Cor.11.5

But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles."

2Cor.11.5

For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.

2Cor.11.5

But I don't think I am inferior to these "super apostles."

2Cor.11.6

It's true that I don't have their voice, haven't mastered that smooth eloquence that impresses you so much. But when I do open my mouth, I at least know what I'm talking about. We haven't kept anything back. We let you in on everything.

2Cor.11.6

I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

2Cor.11.6

Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.

2Cor.11.6

I may not be a trained speaker, but I know what I am talking about. I think you realize this by now, for we have proved it again and again.

2Cor.11.7

I wonder, did I make a bad mistake in proclaiming God's Message to you without asking for something in return, serving you free of charge so that you wouldn't be inconvenienced by me?

2Cor.11.7

Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?

2Cor.11.7

Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

2Cor.11.7

Did I do wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God's Good News to you without expecting anything in return?

2Cor.11.8

It turns out that the other churches paid my way so that you could have a free ride.

2Cor.11.8

I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you.

2Cor.11.8

I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you.

2Cor.11.8

I "robbed" other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost.

2Cor.11.9

Not once during the time I lived among you did anyone have to lift a finger to help me out. My needs were always supplied by the Christians from Macedonia province. I was careful never to be a burden to you, and I never will be, you can count on it.

2Cor.11.9

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 myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

2Cor.11.9

And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

2Cor.11.9

And when I was with you and didn't have enough to live on, I did not ask you to help me. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me another gift. I have never yet asked you for any support, and I never will.

2Cor.11.10

With Christ as my witness, it's a point of honor with me, and I'm not going to keep it quiet just to protect you from what the neighbors will think.

2Cor.11.10

As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine.

2Cor.11.10

As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

2Cor.11.10

As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, I will never stop boasting about this all over Greece.

2Cor.11.11

It's not that I don't love you; God knows I do.

2Cor.11.11

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

2Cor.11.11

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

2Cor.11.11

Why? Because I don't love you? God knows I do.

2Cor.11.12

I'm just trying to keep things open and honest between us. And I'm not changing my position on this. I'd die before taking your money. I'm giving nobody grounds for lumping me in with those money-grubbing "preachers," vaunting themselves as something special.

2Cor.11.12

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.

2Cor.11.12

But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.

2Cor.11.12

But I will continue doing this to cut the ground out from under the feet of those who boast that their work is just like ours.

2Cor.11.13

They're a sorry bunch--pseudo-apostles, lying preachers, crooked workers--posing as Christ's agents but sham to the core.

2Cor.11.13

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.

2Cor.11.13

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

2Cor.11.13

These people are false apostles. They have fooled you by disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

2Cor.11.14

And no wonder! Satan does it all the time, dressing up as a beautiful angel of light.

2Cor.11.14

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

2Cor.11.14

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

2Cor.11.14

But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.

2Cor.11.15

So it shouldn't surprise us when his servants masquerade as servants of God. But they're not getting by with anything. They'll pay for it in the end.

2Cor.11.15

It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

2Cor.11.15

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

2Cor.11.15

So it is no wonder his servants can also do it by pretending to be godly ministers. In the end they will get every bit of punishment their wicked deeds deserve.