CHAPTER 11
1 I would that ye would suffer a little thing of mine unwisdom (or I wish that ye would allow me a little foolishness), but also support ye me [or bear me up].
2 For I love you by the love of God; for I have espoused you to one husband, to yield a chaste virgin to Christ, [or to give you, a chaste virgin, to one man, Christ], (or to give you as a pure virgin to the Messiah).
3 But I dread, lest as the serpent deceived Eve with his subtle fraud, so your wits be corrupted, and fallen down from the simpleness that is in Christ. (But I fear, that just as the serpent deceived Eve with his subtle fraud, so your minds now be corrupted, and have fallen away from your sincere devotion to the Messiah.)
4 For if he that cometh, preacheth another Christ, (or For if he who cometh, preacheth another Messiah), whom we preached not, or if ye take another spirit, whom ye took not [or whom ye received not], or another gospel, which ye received not, rightly ye should suffer.
5 For I ween (or I think) that I have done nothing less than the great apostles.
6 For though I be unlearned in word, but not in cunning (or in knowing), [or For why though I be unlearned in sermon, but not in science], (or For although I am not learned in giving sermons or in public speaking, I have some knowledge). For in all things I am open to you [or I am showed, or made known, to you].
7 Or whether I have done sin, meeking, [or making low], myself, that ye be enhanced (or so that ye be raised up), for freely I preached to you the gospel (or the Good News) of God?
8 I made naked, [or I spoiled, or I took gifts of], other churches, and I took wages to your service. (Yes, I robbed other churches, or I received gifts from other churches, and so I received my wages for my service or my ministry to you.)
9 And when I was among you, and had need, I was chargeous to no man; for brethren that came from Macedonia, fulfilled [or supplied] that that failed to me. And in all things I have kept [me], and shall keep me without charge to you. (And when I was among you, and had need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia, supplied what I needed. And so in everything I have looked after myself, and shall not be a burden to you.)
10 The truth of Christ is in me (or The truth of the Messiah is in me); for this glory shall not be broken in me in the countries [or in the regions] of Achaia.
11 Why? for I love not you? God knoweth.
12 For that that I do, and that I shall do, is that I cut away the occasion of them that will (an) occasion, that in the thing, in which they glory, they be found [such] as we. (For what I do, and what I shall do, is that I cut away the occasion of those who desire an occasion, so that in that, in which they boast, they be found such as we.)
13 For such false apostles be treacherous, [or guileful], workmen, and transfigure them(selves) into apostles of Christ. (For such false apostles be workers of deceit, who transform themselves into apostles of the Messiah.)
14 And no wonder, for Satan himself transfigureth him(self) into an angel of light. (And no wonder, for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light.)
15 Therefore it is not great, if his ministers be transfigured as the ministers of rightwiseness, whose end shall be after their works. (And so it is no great thing, if his servants be transformed into the servants of righteousness, whose end shall be after their works.)
16 Again I say, lest any man guess me, [or deem me], (or think me), to be unwise; else take ye me as unwise, that also I have glory a little (some)what (or so that I can also boast a little).
17 That that I speak, I speak not after God, but as in unwisdom, in this substance of glory (or in this matter of boasting).
18 For many men glory after the flesh, and I shall glory. (For many men boast about fleshly matters, and so I shall boast.)
19 For ye suffer gladly unwise men, when ye yourselves be wise.
20 For ye suffer, if any man driveth you into servage, if any man devoureth (you), if any man taketh (you), if any man is enhanced [by pride], if any man smiteth you on the face. (For ye allow it, if any man driveth you into servitude or into slavery, if any man devoureth you, if any man catcheth you, if any man is raised up over you in pride, if any man striketh you on the face.)
21 By unnobleness I say, as if we were sick in this part (or as if we were frail or weak in this matter). In what thing any man dare, in unwisdom I say, and I dare.
22 They be Hebrews, and I; they be Israelites, and I; they be the seed of Abraham, and I;
23 they be the ministers of Christ, and I, (or they be the servants of the Messiah, like I am). As less wise I say, I more; in full many travails (or in many great labours), in prisons more plenteously, in wounds above-manner, [or over-measure], in deaths oft times.
24 I received of the Jews five times forty strokes one less; (I received from the Jews five times forty strikes less one;)
25 thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I was at ship-break (or three times I was shipwrecked), a night and a day I was in the deepness of the sea;
26 in ways oft, in perils of floods (or in danger from rivers), in perils of thieves, in perils of kin, in perils of heathen men (or in danger from the Gentiles), in perils in [the] city, in perils in (the) desert, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren,
27 in travail and neediness, in many wakings, in hunger, in thirst, in many fastings, in cold and nakedness.
28 Without those things that be withoutforth, mine each day’s travailing [or mine each day’s studying]is the busyness of all (the) churches.
29 Who is sick, and I am not sick? (or Who is frail or weak, and I am not frail or weak?) who is caused to stumble (or to fall), and I am not burnt?
30 If it behooveth to glory, I shall glory in those things that be of mine infirmity, [or frailty]. (If it behooveth to boast, then I shall boast (about those things) that tell of, or show, my weakness, (or frailty).)
31 God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is blessed into worlds, (or who is blessed forever, or forever be he blessed), knoweth that I lie not.
32 The provost of Damascus, of the king of the folk of Aretas, [or of the king of the folk, Aretas], kept the city of Damascenes to take me; (The governor of Damascus, under King Aretas, kept watch in the city of the Damascenes to take me captive;)
33 and by a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and so I escaped his hands.