1I wish ye could bear with me a little in [my] folly and indeed bear with me. 2For I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to the Christ. 3But I fear that as the serpent deceived Eve through his craftiness, so your senses should be corrupted in some way, and ye should fall from the simplicity that is in the Christ. 4Therefore if anyone comes preaching another Jesus whom we have not preached or [if] ye receive another spirit from that which ye have received or another gospel from that which ye have accepted, ye bear well with [it]. 5I reckon that I have not been inferior in any way to those grandiose apostles. 6But though [I am] rude in speech, yet not in knowledge, but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things. 7Have I committed an offence in humbling myself that ye might be exalted because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? 8I deprived the other churches, taking wages [of them], to do you service. 9And when I was present with you and had need, I was not a burden to any [of you], for that which was lacking to me was supplied by the brethren which came from Macedonia; and in all [things] I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and [so] will I keep [myself]. 10It is the truth of Christ in me that this glory shall not be sealed up unto me in the regions of Achaia. 11Why? because I do not love you? God knows. 12But what I do, I will continue to do that I may take away the occasion from those who desire it to be found like unto us in that in which they glory. 13For these false apostles are deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14And it is no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. 16I say again, Let no one think me a fool if otherwise, receive me as a fool, that I may yet glory a little. 17That which I speak, I speak [it] not according to the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of glory. 18Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. 19For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye [yourselves] are wise. 20For ye suffer it if anyone brings you into bondage, if anyone devours [you], if anyone takes [of you], if anyone exalts himself, if anyone smites you on the face. 21I speak as concerning the reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit in that in which another is bold, (I speak foolishly), I am bold also. 22Are they Hebrews? so [am] I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so [am] I. 23Are 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 often. 24Of the Jews five times I received forty [stripes] less one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned; three times I suffered shipwreck, night and day I have been in the deep; 26[in] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils by those of my nation, [in] perils of the Gentiles, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren; 27in labour and travail, in many watches, in hunger and thirst, in many fasts, in cold and nakedness. 28Beside those things that are without, my daily combat is the welfare of all the churches. 29Who is sick, and I am not sick? who stumbles, and I burn not? 30If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern my weakness. 31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knows that I do not lie. 32In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me; 33and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall and escaped his hands.: