Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 11
{11:1} I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness,
but indeed you do bear with me. {11:2} For I am jealous over you with
a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might
present you as a pure virgin to Christ. {11:3} But I am afraid that
somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds
might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. {11:4} For
if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if
you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a
different "good news", which you did not accept, you put up with that
well enough. {11:5} For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very
best apostles. {11:6} But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am
not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to
you in all things. {11:7} Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself
that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God's Good News
free of charge? {11:8} I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from
them that I might serve you. {11:9} When I was present with you and
was in need, I wasn't a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they
came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I
kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do
so. {11:10} As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from
this boasting in the regions of Achaia. {11:11} Why? Because I don't
love you? God knows. {11:12} But what I do, that I will do, that I may
cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they
boast, they may be found even as we. {11:13} For such men are false
apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ's apostles.
{11:14} And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of
light. {11:15} It is no great thing therefore if his servants also
masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according
to their works.
{11:16} I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet
receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little. {11:17} That
which I speak, I don't speak according to the Lord, but as in
foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. {11:18} Seeing that many
boast after the flesh, I will also boast. {11:19} For you bear with
the foolish gladly, being wise. {11:20} For you bear with a man, if he
brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive,
if he exalts himself, if he strikes you on the face. {11:21} I speak
by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet however any
is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also. {11:22} Are they
Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of
Abraham? So am I. {11:23} Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one
beside himself) I am more so; in labors more abundantly, in prisons
more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. {11:24}
Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one. {11:25}
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I
suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep. {11:26}
I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers,
perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the
city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false
brothers; {11:27} in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger
and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.
{11:28} Besides those things that are outside, there is that which
presses on me daily, anxiety for all the assemblies. {11:29} Who is
weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don't burn
with indignation? {11:30} If I must boast, I will boast of the things
that concern my weakness. {11:31} The God and Father of the Lord Jesus
Christ, he who is blessed forevermore, knows that I don't lie. {11:32}
In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of the
Damascenes desiring to arrest me. {11:33} Through a window I was let
down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.
________________________________________________________________________
The World English Bible is dedicated to the Public Domain by the
translators and editors. It is not copyrighted. "World English Bible"
and the World English Bible logo are a trademarks of Rainbow Missions,
Inc. They may only be used to identify this translation of the Holy
Bible as published by Rainbow Missions, Inc., and faithful copies and
quotations. "Faithful copies" include copies converted to other formats
(i. e. HTML, PDF, etc.) or typeset differently, without altering the
text of the Scriptures, except that changing the spellings between
preferred American and British usage is allowed. Use of the markings of
direct quotes of Jesus Christ for different rendition (i. e. red text)
is optional. Comments and typo reports are welcome at
http://eBible.org/cgi-bin/comment.cgi. Please see
http://eBible.org/web/ for updates, revision status, free downloads,
and printed edition purchase information.
_______________________________________________
This message came to you through the Bible mailing list.
You may unsubscribe or change your address at any time at:
http://lists.ebible.org/mailman/listinfo/bible
