¶ Would¹ to God ye could bear with me a² little in³ my folly: and indeed bear with me⁴.

For I am jealous⁵ over you with godly jealousy: for I have⁶ espoused you to one husband, that I may⁷ present you as a chaste⁸ virgin to Christ.

But I fear⁹, lest by any means, as¹⁰ the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so¹¹ your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity¹² that is in Christ.

For if he that cometh preacheth¹³ another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive¹⁴ another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel¹⁵, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him¹⁶.

¶ For I suppose I was not¹⁷ a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

But though I be rude¹⁸ in speech, yet not¹⁹ in knowledge; but we²⁰ have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

Have I committed an offence in abasing²¹ myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

²²I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

And when I was present with you, and wanted²³, I was²⁴ chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren²⁵ which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome²⁷ unto you, and so will I keep myself.

¶ As the truth²⁸ of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting²⁹ in the regions³⁰ of Achaia.

Wherefore? because³¹ I love you not? God³² knoweth.

But what³³ I do, that I will do, that I may³⁴ cut off occasion from them³⁵ which desire occasion; that wherein they glory³⁶, they may be found even as we.

For such are false³⁷ apostles, deceitful³⁸ workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

And no marvel; for³⁹ Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Therefore it is no⁴⁰ great thing if his⁴¹ ministers also be transformed as the ministers⁴² of righteousness; whose⁴³ end shall be according to their works.

¶ I say⁴⁴ again, Let⁴⁵ no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me⁴⁶, that I may boast myself a little.

That which I speak, I speak it⁴⁷ not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly⁴⁸, in this confidence of boasting.

Seeing that many⁴⁹ glory after the flesh, I will⁵⁰ glory also.

For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing⁵¹ ye yourselves are wise.

¶ For ye suffer, if a man bring⁵² you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take⁵³ of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite⁵⁴ you on the face.

I speak as concerning reproach, as though⁵⁵ we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever⁵⁶ any is bold, (I speak⁵⁷ foolishly,) I am bold also.

¶ Are they Hebrews⁵⁸? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed⁵⁹ of Abraham? so am I.

Are they ministers⁶⁰ of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am⁶¹ more; in labours⁶² more abundant, in stripes⁶³ above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths⁶⁵ oft.

Of the Jews five times received I forty⁶⁶ stripes save one.

Thrice was I beaten⁶⁷ with rods, once⁶⁸ was I stoned, thrice⁶⁹ I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

In journeyings⁷⁰ often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine⁷¹ own countrymen, in perils by the⁷² heathen, in perils in the city⁷³, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

In weariness⁷⁴ and painfulness, in watchings⁷⁵ often, in hunger⁷⁶ and thirst, in fastings⁷⁷ often, in cold and nakedness⁷⁸.

Beside those⁷⁹ things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care⁸⁰ of all the churches.

Who is weak⁸¹, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn⁸² not?

¶ If I must⁸³ needs glory, I will⁸⁴ glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

The God⁸⁵ and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which⁸⁶ is blessed for evermore, knoweth⁸⁷ that I lie not.

In Damascus⁸⁸ the governor under Aretas⁸⁹ the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

And through a window in a basket was I let⁹⁰ down by the wall, and escaped his hands.