2 Corinthians, 10

1. Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence [am] base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

1. It is I, Paul, who by the humility and kindness of Christ appeal to you, the Paul "who is timid among you and bold when far away from you!"

2. But I beseech [you], that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

2. Do not force me to act boldly when I come, as I am determined and will dare to act against some people who think that I act from human motives.

3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

3. Human is our condition but not our fight.

4. (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

4. Our weapons for this fight are not human but they have divine power to destroy strongholds - those arguments

5. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

5. and haughty thoughts which oppose the knowledge of God. They disarm the conceited minds, that they obey Christ.

6. And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

6. So I am prepared to punish any disobedience when you should show perfect obedience.

7. Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he [is] Christ's, even so [are] we Christ's.

7. See things as they really are. If someone is convinced that he belongs to Christ, let him consider that just as he is Christ's, so am I.

8. For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

8. Although I may seem too confident in the authority that the Lord gave me for building you up and not for pulling you down, I will not be put to shame for saying this.

9. That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

9. Do not think that I can only frighten you with letters.

10. For [his] letters, say they, [are] weighty and powerful; but [his] bodily presence [is] weak, and [his] speech contemptible.

10. "His letters are severe and strong," some say, "but as he is, he has no presence and he is a poor speaker."

11. Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such [will we be] also in deed when we are present.

11. To such people I say, "Be careful: what my letters say from afar, is what I will do when I come."

12. For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

12. How could I venture to equate or compare myself with some people who proclaim their own merits? Fools! They measure themselves with their own measure and compare themselves with themselves.

13. But we will not boast of things without [our] measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

13. As for me, I will not boast beyond measure, for I will not go past the limits that the God of true measure has set for me: He gave the measuring stick when he made me set foot in your place.

14. For we stretch not ourselves beyond [our measure], as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in [preaching] the gospel of Christ:

14. It is not the same when someone goes beyond his field to where he has not been able to set foot. But I am he who first reached you with the Gospel of Christ.

15. Not boasting of things without [our] measure, [that is], of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,

15. I am not making myself important where others have worked. On the contrary, we hope that as your faith increases, so too our area of ministry among you will be enlarged without going beyond our limit.

16. To preach the gospel in the [regions] beyond you, [and] not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.

16. So we shall bring the Gospel to places beyond yours without entering into the field of others, or boasting and making ourselves important where the work is already done.

17. But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

17. Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

18. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

18. It is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.