001 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
002 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
003 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
004 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
005 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
006 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.
007 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
008 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
009 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
010 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
011 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
012 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
013 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
014 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
015 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
016 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
017 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
018 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
019 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
020 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
021 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
022 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
023 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
024 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
025 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
026 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
027 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
028 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
029 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
030 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
031 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
032 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
033 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.