10:1But I myself, Paul, entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ, who, as to appearance, when present am mean among you, but absent am bold towards you;

10:2but I beseech that present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I think to be daring towards some who think of us as walking according to flesh.

10:3For walking in flesh, we do not war according to flesh.

10:4For the arms of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful according to God to the overthrow of strongholds;

10:5overthrowing reasonings and every high thing that lifts itself up against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ;

10:6and having in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience shall have been fulfilled.

10:7Do ye look at what concerns appearance? If any one has confidence in himself that he is of Christ, let him think this again in himself, that even as he is of Christ, so also are we.

10:8For and if I should boast even somewhat more abundantly of our authority, which the Lord has given to us for building up and not for your overthrowing, I shall not be put to shame;

10:9that I may not seem as if I was frightening you by letters:

10:10because his letters, he says, are weighty and strong, but his presence in the body weak, and his speech naught.

10:11Let such a one think this, that such as we are in word by letters when absent, such also present in deed.

10:12For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves; but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not intelligent.

10:13Now *we* will not boast out of measure, but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach to you also.

10:14For we do not, as not reaching to you, overstretch ourselves, (for we have come to you also in the glad tidings of the Christ;)

10:15not boasting out of measure in other people's labours, but having hope, your faith increasing, to be enlarged amongst you, according to our rule, yet more abundantly

10:16to announce the glad tidings to that which is beyond you, not to be boasting in another's rule of things made ready to hand.

10:17But he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord.

10:18For not *he* that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

11:1Would that ye would bear with me in a little folly; but indeed bear with me.

11:2For 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.

11:3But 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.

11:4For 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.

11:5For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles.

11:6But if I am a simple person in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything making the truth manifest in all things to you.

11:7Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that *ye* might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings of God?

11:8I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you.

11:9And 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.

11:10The truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to me in the regions of Achaia.

11:11Why? because I do not love you? God knows.

11:12But 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.

11:13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

11:14And it is not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

11:15It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

11:16Again 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.

11:17What I speak I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting.

11:18Since many boast according to flesh, *I* also will boast.

11:19For ye bear fools readily, being wise.

11:20For 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.

11:21I speak as to dishonour, as though *we* had been weak; but wherein any one is daring, (I speak in folly,) *I* also am daring.

11:22Are they Hebrews? *I* also. Are they Israelites? *I* also. Are they seed of Abraham? *I* also.

11:23Are 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.

11:24From the Jews five times have I received forty stripes, save one.

11:25Thrice have I been scourged, once I have been stoned, three times I have suffered shipwreck, a night and day I passed in the deep:

11:26in 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;

11:27in labour and toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

11:28Besides those things that are without, the crowd of cares pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies.

11:29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I burn not?

11:30If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

11:31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows -- he who is blessed for ever -- that I do not lie.

11:32In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me;

11:33and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

12:1Well, it is not of profit to me to boast, for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

12:2I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago, (whether in the body I know not, or out of the body I know not, God knows;) such a one caught up to the third heaven.

12:3And I know such a man, (whether in the body or out of the body I know not, God knows;)

12:4that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable things said which it is not allowed to man to utter.

12:5Of such a one I will boast, but of myself I will not boast, unless in my weaknesses.

12:6For if I shall desire to boast, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth; but I forbear, lest any one should think as to me above what he sees me to be, or whatever he may hear of me.

12:7And that I might not be exalted by the exceeding greatness of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn for the flesh, a messenger of Satan that he might buffet me, that I might not be exalted.

12:8For this I thrice besought the Lord that it might depart from me.

12:9And he said to me, My grace suffices thee; for my power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may dwell upon me.

12:10Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in straits, for Christ: for when I am weak, then I am powerful.

12:11I have become a fool; *ye* have compelled me; for *I* ought to have been commended by you; for I have been nothing behind those who were in surpassing degree apostles, if also I am nothing.

12:12The signs indeed of the apostle were wrought among you in all endurance, signs, and wonders, and works of power.

12:13For in what is it that ye have been inferior to the other assemblies, unless that I myself have not been in laziness a charge upon you? Forgive me this injury.

12:14Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be in laziness a charge; for I do not seek yours, but you; for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

12:15Now *I* shall most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls, if even in abundantly loving you I should be less loved.

12:16But be it so. *I* did not burden you, but being crafty I took you by guile.

12:17Did I make gain of you by any of those whom I have sent to you?

12:18I begged Titus, and sent the brother with him: did Titus at all make gain of you? have we not walked in the same spirit? have we not in the same steps?

12:19Ye have long been supposing that we excuse ourselves to you: we speak before God in Christ; and all things, beloved, for your building up.

12:20For I fear lest perhaps coming I find you not such as I wish, and that *I* be found by you such as ye do not wish: lest there might be strifes, jealousies, angers, contentions, evil speakings, whisperings, puffings up, disturbances;

12:21lest my God should humble me as to you when I come again, and that I shall grieve over many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented as to the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness which they have practised.

13:1This third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every matter be established.

13:2I have declared beforehand, and I say beforehand as present the second time, and now absent, to those that have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare.

13:3Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, (who is not weak towards you, but is powerful among you,

13:4for if indeed he has been crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power; for indeed *we* are weak in him, but we shall live with him by God's power towards you,)

13:5examine your own selves if ye be in the faith; prove your own selves: do ye not recognise yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed ye be reprobates?

13:6Now I hope that ye will know that *we* are not reprobates.

13:7But we pray to God that ye may do nothing evil; not that *we* may appear approved, but that *ye* may do what is right, and *we* be as reprobates.

13:8For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

13:9For we rejoice when *we* may be weak and *ye* may be powerful. But this also we pray for, your perfecting.

13:10On this account I write these things being absent, that being present I may not use severity according to the authority which the Lord has given me for building up, and not for overthrowing.

13:11For the rest, brethren, rejoice; be perfected; be encouraged; be of one mind; be at peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

13:12Salute one another with a holy kiss.

13:13All the saints salute you.

13:14The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.