111 Would that ye would bear with me [in] a little folly; but indeed bear with me. 2 For 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. 3 But 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. 4 For 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].
5 For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles. 6 But if [I am] a simple person in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything making [the truth] manifest in all things to you. 7 Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that ye might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings of God? 8 I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you. 9 And 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. 10 [The] truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to me in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? because I do not love you? God knows. 12 But 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. 13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And [it is] not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16 Again 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. 17 What I speak I do not speak according to [the] Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since many boast according to flesh, I also will boast. 19 For ye bear fools readily, being wise. 20 For 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. 21 I speak as to dishonour, as though we had been weak; but wherein any one is daring, (I speak in folly,) I also am daring.
22 Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they seed of Abraham? I also. 23 Are 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. 24 From the Jews five times have I received forty [stripes], save one. 25 Thrice have I been scourged, once I have been stoned, three times I have suffered shipwreck, a night and day I passed in the deep: 26 in 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; 27 in labour and toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Besides those things that are without, the crowd [of cares] pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I burn not? 30 If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows—he who is blessed for ever—that I do not lie. 32 In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me; 33 and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
31 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or [commendatory] from you? 2 Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read of all men, 3 being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but [the] Spirit of [the] living God; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of [the] heart. 4 And such confidence have we through the Christ towards God: 5 not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency [is] of God;
6 who has also made us competent, [as] ministers of [the] new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens. 7 (But if the ministry of death, in letters, graven in stones, began with glory, so that the children of Israel could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, [a glory] which is annulled; 8 how shall not rather the ministry of the Spirit subsist in glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation [be] glory, much rather the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory. 10 For also that [which was] glorified is not glorified in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory. 11 For if that annulled [was introduced] with glory, much rather that which abides [subsists] in glory.
12 Having therefore such hope, we use much boldness: 13 and not according as Moses put a veil on his own face, so that the children of Israel should not fix their eyes on the end of that annulled. 14 But their thoughts have been darkened, for unto this day the same veil remains in reading the old covenant, unremoved, which in Christ is annulled. 15 But unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil lies upon their heart. 16 But when it shall turn to [the] Lord, the veil is taken away.) 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, but where the Spirit of [the] Lord [is, there is] liberty. 18 But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by [the] Lord [the] Spirit.
