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1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
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6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
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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?
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8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
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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.
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10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
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11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
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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.
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13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
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14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
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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.
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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.
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17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
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18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
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19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
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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.
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21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
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22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
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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.
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24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
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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;
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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;
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27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
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28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
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29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
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30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
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31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
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32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
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33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
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- 1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.
- 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.
- 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
- 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.
- 5 For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.
- 6 But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.
- 7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?
- 8 I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you;
- 9 and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.
- 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.
- 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
- 12 But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.
- 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
- 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
- 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
- 16 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.
- 17 What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
- 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also.
- 19 For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly.
- 20 For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face.
- 21 To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold—I speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself.
- 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
- 23 Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
- 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
- 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 in the deep.
- 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
- 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
- 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
- 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
- 30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.
- 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
- 32 In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,
- 33 and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
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