¹ I could wish ye would bear with me as to some little foolishness,—Nay! do even bear with me!

² For I am jealous over you with a jealousy, of God; for I myself betrothed you unto one husband, to present, a chaste virgin, unto the Christ,—

³ But I fear lest, by any means, as, the serpent, completely deceived Eve, in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the singleness [and the chasteness] which are [due] unto the Christ.

⁴ For, if, indeed, he that cometh, is proclaiming, another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed, or, a different Spirit, ye are receiving, which ye had not received, or a different glad-message, which ye have never welcomed, ye are, well, bearing.

⁵ For I reckon not to have come a whit behind the exceeding overmuch apostles;

⁶ And, even if uncultured in my discourse, certainly not in my knowledge,—but, in every way, having made [it] manifest, in all things, unto you.

⁷ Or, a sin, did I commit—abasing, myself, that, ye, might be exalted,—in that, free of charge, God’s glad-message, I announced unto you?

⁸ Other assemblies, I despoiled, receiving supplies that I might minister, unto you;

⁹ And, being present with you, and having come short, I was not burdensome to anyone,—for, my deficiency, the brethren, coming from Macedonia, helped to make up;—and, in everything, without burden unto you, I kept, myself—and will keep!

¹⁰ Truth of Christ is in me, that, this boasting, shall not be silenced unto me, in the regions of Achaia.

¹¹ Wherefore? Because I love you not? God, knoweth!

¹² But, what I am doing, I also will do,—that I may cut off the occasion of them who are wishing an occasion, that, wherein they are boasting themselves, they may be found even as also, we.

¹³ For, such as these, are false apostles, deceitful workers, transfiguring themselves into apostles of Christ.

¹⁴ And no marvel! for, Satan himself, doth transfigure himself into a messenger of light!

¹⁵ No great thing, therefore, if, his ministers also, are transfiguring themselves as ministers of righteousness!—whose end, shall be according to their works.

¹⁶ Again, I say—let no one deem me to be, foolish; but, otherwise, at least, as foolish, give me welcome, that, I also, some little, may boast myself.

¹⁷ What I am saying, not according to the Lord, am I saying, but as in foolishness,—in this my boastful confidence!

¹⁸ Since, many, are boasting after the flesh, I also, will boast;

¹⁹ For, gladly, do ye bear with the foolish, being [yourselves], discreet,—

²⁰ For ye bear with it—if anyone enslaveth you, if any devoureth, if anyone taketh, if anyone lifteth himself up, if anyone, on the face, doth smite you!

²¹ By way of disparagement, am I speaking,—as though, we, had been weak! whereas, in whatsoever anyone dareth, in foolishness I speak, I also, dare:—

²² Hebrews, are they? I also, Israelites, are they? I also, seed of Abraham, are they? I also,

²³ Ministers of Christ, are they? As one deranged I am talking, I, above measure!—in toils, superabundantly, in prisons, superabundantly, in stripes, to excess, in deaths, oft,—

²⁴ From Jews, five times, forty-save-one, have I received,

²⁵ Thrice, have I been beaten with rods, once, have I been stoned, thrice, have I been shipwrecked, a day and night, in the deep, have I spent;

²⁶ In journeyings oft, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own race, in perils from Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils by the sea, in perils among false brethren,

²⁷ in toil and hardship, in watchings, oft, in hunger and thirst, in fasting, oft, in cold and nakedness:—

²⁸ Apart from the things without, my daily care,—my anxiety for all the assemblies;—

²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and, I, am not burning?

³⁰ If, to boast, is needful, in the things that concern my weakness, will I boast.

³¹ The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, knoweth—He who is blessed unto the ages—that I am not speaking falsely:

³² In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of Damascenes, to apprehend me,—

³³ And, through a window, was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.