1 GLT I wish that you would bear with me in a little bit of foolishness, but you are indeed bearing with me! BSB BSB: I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that.
3 GLT But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds might be corrupted from the sincerity and the purity{ that are} to Christ. BSB BSB: I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.
4 GLT For if indeed one coming proclaims another Jesus whom we did not proclaim, or you receive a different spirit which you did not receive or a different gospel which you did not accept, you are bearing with{ it} well! BSB BSB: For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it very easily.
5 GLT For I consider{ myself} not to fall short of the“super- apostles.” BSB BSB: I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”
6 GLT But even if I am untrained in this speech, yet not in this knowledge, but in everything having made this clear to you in all things. BSB BSB: Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every way possible.
7 GLT Or did I commit a sin, humbling myself so that you yourselves might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without payment? BSB BSB: Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
8 GLT I robbed other churches, having accepted a wage for the ministry{ to} you. BSB BSB: I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you.
9 GLT And being present with you— and having lacked— I did not burden anyone. For the brothers having come from Macedonia completely met my need, and in everything I kept and will{ continue to} keep myself{ from being} a burden to you. BSB BSB: And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.
10 GLT The truth of Christ is in me, that this boasting will not be shut to me in the regions of Achaia. BSB BSB: As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
11 GLT Why? Because I do not love you? God knows{ I do}! BSB BSB: Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 GLT But what I do I will also{ continue to} do so that I may cut off the opportunity of the ones desiring an opportunity that in what they are boasting about they may be found just as we also{ are}. BSB BSB: But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast.
13 GLT For the ones of such kind{ are} false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves{ as} apostles of Christ. BSB BSB: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
14 GLT And no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself{ as} an angel of light. BSB BSB: And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
15 GLT Therefore,{ it is} no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. BSB BSB: It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.
16 GLT I say again: Let no one think me to be foolish. But if not, receive me at least as a fool so that I too may boast a little bit. BSB BSB: I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
17 GLT What I am saying, I am not saying according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this situation of boasting. BSB BSB: In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
18 GLT Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. BSB BSB: Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.
19 GLT For gladly you bear with the foolish, being wise. BSB BSB: For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise.
20 GLT For you bear with{ it} if anyone enslaves you, if anyone devours{ you}, if anyone takes advantage{ of you}, if anyone exalts{ himself}, if anyone hits you in the face. BSB BSB: In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face.
21 GLT According to dishonor I speak, namely that we ourselves have been weak! However, in whatever{ way} anyone might be bold— I am speaking in foolishness— I too am bold. BSB BSB: To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.
22 GLT Are they Hebrews? I{ am} also. Are they Israelites? I{ am} also. Are they offspring of Abraham? I{ am} also. BSB BSB: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23 GLT Are they servants of Christ?(I speak{ as} being insane.) I{ am} more so: more abundantly in hard work, more abundantly in imprisonments, in beatings beyond measure, often in{ danger of} deaths. BSB BSB: Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.
24 GLT Five times I received from Jews 40{ lashes} minus one. BSB BSB: Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 GLT Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the deep; BSB BSB: Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.
26 GLT often on journeys, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from{ my own} countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers; BSB BSB: In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,
27 GLT in hard work and hardship, often in sleeplessness, in hunger and thirst, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness; BSB BSB: in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.
28 GLT apart from the other things,{ there is} the care for me every day, the concern of all the churches. BSB BSB: Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
29 GLT Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I am not inflamed? BSB BSB: Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief?
30 GLT If it is necessary to boast, I will boast{ about} the things of my weakness. BSB BSB: If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
31 GLT The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, the one being blessed to eternity, knows that I am not lying! BSB BSB: The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.
32 GLT In Damascus, the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of Damascenes to arrest me. BSB BSB: In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
33 GLT But I was lowered in a basket through a window through the wall, and I escaped from his hands. BSB BSB: But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.