2 Corinthians 11112 CorinthiansPaul's defence against rival teachersYoung’s Literal Translation

Young’s Literal TranslationBerean Standard Bible

1. Paul and the False Apostles

2. 1YLTO that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also do bear with me:BSBBSB: I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that.
3. 2YLTfor I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ,BSBBSB: I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
4. 3YLTand I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in the Christ;BSBBSB: 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.
5. 4YLTfor if, indeed, he who is coming doth preach another Jesus whom we did not preach, or another Spirit ye receive which ye did not receive, or other good news which ye did not accept — well were ye bearing it,BSBBSB: 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.
6. 5YLTfor I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,BSBBSB: I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”
7. 6YLTand even if unlearned in word — yet not in knowledge, but in every thing we were made manifest in all things to you.BSBBSB: 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.
8. 7YLTThe sin did I do — myself humbling that ye might be exalted, because freely the good news of God I did proclaim to you?BSBBSB: 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?
9. 8YLTother assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;BSBBSB: I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you.
10. 9YLTand being present with you, and having been in want, I was chargeable to no one, for my lack did the brethren supply — having come from Macedonia — and in everything burdenless to you I did keep myself, and will keep.BSBBSB: 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.
11. 10YLTThe truth of Christ is in me, because this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia;BSBBSB: As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
12. 11YLTwherefore? because I do not love you? God hath known!BSBBSB: Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
13. 12YLTand what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those wishing an occasion, that in that which they boast they may be found according as we also;BSBBSB: 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.
14. 13YLTfor those such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,BSBBSB: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
15. 14YLTand no wonder — for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger of light;BSBBSB: And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
16. 15YLTno great thing, then, if also his ministrants do transform themselves as ministrants of righteousness — whose end shall be according to their works.BSBBSB: It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.

17. Paul’s Suffering and Service

    (Colossians 1:24–29)

18. 16YLTAgain I say, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, even as a fool receive me, that I also a little may boast.BSBBSB: 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.
19. 17YLTThat which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;BSBBSB: In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
20. 18YLTsince many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:BSBBSB: Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.
21. 19YLTfor gladly do ye bear with the fools — being wise,BSBBSB: For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise.
22. 20YLTfor ye bear, if any one is bringing you under bondage, if any one doth devour, if any one doth take away, if any one doth exalt himself, if any one on the face doth smite you;BSBBSB: 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.
23. 21YLTin reference to dishonour I speak, how that we were weak, and in whatever any one is bold — in foolishness I say it — I also am bold.BSBBSB: 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.
24. 22YLTHebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!BSBBSB: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
25. 23YLTministrants of Christ are they? — as beside myself I speak — I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times;BSBBSB: 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.
26. 24YLTfrom Jews five times forty stripes save one I did receive;BSBBSB: Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
27. 25YLTthrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep I have passed;BSBBSB: 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.
28. 26YLTjourneyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brethren;BSBBSB: 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,
29. 27YLTin labouriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness;BSBBSB: in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.
30. 28YLTapart from the things without — the crowding upon me that is daily — the care of all the assemblies.BSBBSB: Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
31. 29YLTWho is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;BSBBSB: Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief?
32. 30YLTif to boast it behoveth me, of the things of my infirmity I will boast;BSBBSB: If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
33. 31YLTthe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ — who is blessed to the ages — hath known that I do not lie! —BSBBSB: The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.
34. 32YLTIn Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,BSBBSB: In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
35. 33YLTand through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.BSBBSB: But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.