1. Would to God ye could bear with me a little in {cf15I my} folly: and indeed bear with me.
2. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present {cf15I you as} a chaste virgin to Christ.
3. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or {cf15I if} ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with {cf15I him}.
5. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
6. But though {cf15I I be} rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
7. Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8. I robbed other churches, taking wages {cf15I of them}, to do you service.
9. 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 {cf15I things} I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and {cf15I so} will I keep {cf15I myself}.
10. As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11. Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12. 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.
13. For such {cf15I are} false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15. Therefore {cf15I it is} no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16. 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.
17. That which I speak, I speak {cf15I it} not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18. Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19. For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye {cf15I yourselves} are wise.
20. For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour {cf15I you}, if a man take {cf15I of you}, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
21. I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
22. Are they Hebrews? so {cf15I am} I. Are they Israelites? so {cf15I am} I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so {cf15I am} I.
23. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I {cf15I am} more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24. Of the Jews five times received I forty {cf15I stripes} save one.
25. 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;
26. {cf15I In} journeyings often, {cf15I in} perils of waters, {cf15I in} perils of robbers, {cf15I in} perils by {cf15I mine own} countrymen, {cf15I in} perils by the heathen, {cf15I in} perils in the city, {cf15I in} perils in the wilderness, {cf15I in} perils in the sea, {cf15I in} perils among false brethren;
27. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30. If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33. And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.