| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. | 1I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— |
| 2But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. | 2I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. |
| 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. | 3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. |
| 4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, | 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. |
| 5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, | 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, |
| 6and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. | 6being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. |
| 7Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. | 7Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. |
| 8For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed— | 8For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. |
| 9lest I seem to terrify you by letters. | 9I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. |
| 10“For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” | 10For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” |
| 11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present. | 11Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. |
| 12For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. | 12Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. |
| 13We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. | 13But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. |
| 14For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; | 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. |
| 15not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, | 15We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, |
| 16to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment. | 16so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. |
| 17But “he who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” | 17“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” |
| 18For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. | 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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