Epistula II ad Corinthios, 10

1. Ipse autem ego Paulus obse cro vos per mansuetudinem et modestiam Christi, qui in facie quidem humilis inter vos, absens autem confido in vobis;

1. I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ -- I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold to you when I am away! --

2. rogo autem, ne praesens audeam per eam confidentiam, quae existimo audere in quosdam, qui arbitrantur nos tamquam secundum carnem ambulemus.

2. I 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 acting in worldly fashion.

3. In carne enim ambulantes, non secundum carnem militamus

3. For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war,

4. — nam arma militiae nostrae non carnalia sed potentia Deo ad destructionem munitionum — consilia destruentes

4. for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

5. et omnem altitudinem extollentem se adversus scientiam Dei, et in captivitatem redigentes omnem intellectum in obsequium Christi,

5. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

6. et in promptu habentes ulcisci omnem inoboedientiam, cum impleta fuerit vestra oboedientia.

6. being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

7. Quae secundum faciem sunt, videte. Si quis confidit sibi Christi se esse, hoc cogitet iterum apud se, quia sicut ipse Christi est, ita et nos.

7. Look at what is before your eyes. If any one is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that as he is Christ's, so are we.

8. Nam et si amplius aliquid gloriatus fuero de potestate nostra, quam dedit Dominus in aedificationem et non in destructionem vestram, non erubescam,

8. For 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 shall not be put to shame.

9. ut non existimer tamquam terrere vos per epistulas;

9. I would not seem to be frightening you with letters.

10. quoniam quidem “Epistulae — inquiunt — graves sunt et fortes, praesentia autem corporis infirma, et sermo contemptibilis”.

10. For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account."

11. Hoc cogitet, qui eiusmodi est, quia quales sumus verbo per epistulas absentes, tales et praesentes in facto.

11. Let such people understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.

12. Non enim audemus inserere aut comparare nos quibusdam, qui seipsos commendant; sed ipsi se in semetipsis metientes et comparantes semetipsos sibi, non intellegunt.

12. Not that we venture to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

13. Nos autem non ultra mensuram gloriabimur sed secundum mensuram regulae, quam impertitus est nobis Deus, mensuram pertingendi usque ad vos.

13. But we will not boast beyond limit, but will keep to the limits God has apportioned us, to reach even to you.

14. Non enim quasi non pertingentes ad vos superextendimus nosmetipsos, usque ad vos enim pervenimus in evangelio Christi;

14. For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ.

15. non ultra mensuram gloriantes in alienis laboribus, spem autem habentes, crescente fide vestra, in vobis magnificari secundum regulam nostram in abundantiam,

15. We do not boast beyond limit, in other men's labors; but our hope is that as your faith increases, our field among you may be greatly enlarged,

16. ad evangelizandum in iis, quae ultra vos sunt, et non in aliena regula gloriari in his, quae praeparata sunt.

16. so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's field.

17. Qui autem gloriatur, in Domino glorietur;

17. "Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord."

18. non enim qui seipsum commendat, ille probatus est, sed quem Dominus commendat.

18. For it is not the man who commends himself that is accepted, but the man whom the Lord commends.