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1 I would that you might bear with me in a little tipshus (foolery). Do bear with me! 2 For I have kinah for you, a kinat Hashem, for, as a shadkhan (marriage broker), I betrothed you to one ish (husband) to present you as a chaste betulah to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach;* 3 But I fear lest somehow as the Nachash deceived Chavah by his cunning,† your machshavot should be led astray from a simple and pure deveykus to Moshiach. 4 For if a darshan shows up and preaches another Moshiach, another “Yehoshua” (Yeshua) other than the one in our drashot, or if you receive a different “Ruach Hakodesh” from the One you received or a different Besuras HaGeulah from the one regarding which you were mekabel, you put up with [that] well enough.‡ 5 For I consider to have come behind the most groise (eminent) Shlichim in absolutely nothing.§ 6 But if indeed I am unskilled in lashon* yet I am not in da'as (knowledge),† but in all ways and all things I have made this abundantly clear to you.
7 Or — anshuldiks! (pardon!) — did I commit averos by humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed Hashemʼs Besuras HaGeulah to you free of charge?‡ 8 I robbed other of Moshiachʼs Kehillot, did I, in taking wages from them for the avodas kodesh work I did for you?§ 9 And when I was present with you and I had lack, I did not burden anyone,* for my lack was made up by the Achim b'Moshiach who came from Macedonia. So I was shomer not to make myself a burden to you and in that I will remain shomer. 10 As HaEmes of Moshiach is in me, that particular boasting of mine will not be silenced† in the regions of Achaia! 11 Why? Because I do not have ahavah for you? Hashem knows that I do!
12 But what I do I will also continue to do in order to deny an opening to those who are looking for an opening by their ravrevan (braggart) boasting to be recognized as equals with us. 13 For such ones are shlichei sheker, deceitful po'alim,‡ transforming themselves in a masquerade as shlichim of Moshiach. 14 And no wonder! For even HaSatan transforms himself into a malach ohr (an angel of light); 15 It is no big “megillah,” therefore, if also Hasatanʼs ministers transform themselves as ministers of Tzedek. Their end will be according to their ma'asim.
16 Listen here, let no one think me a tipesh (idiot). But if you do think me a yold (fool), then receive me as a yold that I, too, may boast ki hu zeh (a small amount).§ 17 What I speak in this bitachon of boasting, I speak not according to Moshiach Adoneinu, but as a yold. 18 Als (since) many boast according to the basar, I also will boast. 19 For magnanimously you put up with fools, being such talmidei chachamim yourselves! 20 For you put up with it quite well, if anyone trades you into slavery, if anyone turns you into their supper, if anyone lifts your wallet, if anyone exalts himself into your gontser macher, if anyone gives you a klop in the ponem. 21 To my bushah, I say that we were too weak for that! But, nevertheless, in whatever way anyone may have chutzpah in foolishness, I also will speak with chutzpah. 22 Are they Ivrim? So am I. Are they Yisroelim? So am I. Are they Zera Avraham? So am I.* 23 Are they mesharetei HaMoshiach? — I am talking like someone who is meshuggah — † I can outdo them: in labors more abundantly, in imprisonments more frequently, in beatings more by far, and often near death. 24 By Yehudim chamash pe'amim I had the arba'im lashes minus one!‡ 25 Shloshah pe'amim I was beaten with rods,§ pa'am achat I was stoned,* shloshah pe'amim I was shipwrecked, spending a lailah and a yom in the open sea; 26 In journeys often, in sakanot mavet (mortal danger) from rivers, in sakanot mavet from robbers, in sakanot mavet from my own people,† in sakanot mavet from Goyim,‡ in sakanot mavet in the shtetl, in sakanot mavet in the country, in sakanot mavet in the sea, in sakanot mavet among achei sheker (false brothers); 27 In labor and toil, in watchings, often in famine and thirst, in tzomot often, in cold and nakedness;§ 28 Beside the things from without, there is the pressure on me yom yom, the care of all of Moshiachʼs Kehillot. 29 Who is weak and I am not weak?* Who is caused to fall into chet (sin), and I do not burn?
30 If it is necessary for me to boast, then I will boast of my weaknesses.† 31 Hashem, Elohim HaAv of HaMoshiach Yehoshua knows [Hamevorach l'olmei olamim!] that I am not speaking sheker.‡ 32 In Damascus the Ethnarch under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus to arrest me, 33 And I was let down through the wall through a window in a basket, and escaped his hands.§
* 11:2 Hos 2:19; SHIR HASHIRIM; Ep 5:26-27 † 11:3 Gn 3:1-6,13 ‡ 11:4 Ga 1:8-9 § 11:5 1C 15:10; 2C 12:11; Ga 2:6,9 * 11:6 1C 1:17; 2:1,13 † 11:6 Ep 3:4 ‡ 11:7 1C 9:12, 18 § 11:8 Pp 4:15 * 11:9 2C 12:13 † 11:10 1C 9:15 ‡ 11:13 Pp 3:2 § 11:16 2C 12:6 * 11:22 Pp 3:5 † 11:23 1C 15:10 ‡ 11:24 Dt 25:3 § 11:25 Ac 16:10 * 11:25 Ac 14:19 † 11:26 Ac 9:23 ‡ 11:26 Ac 14:5 § 11:27 2C 6:5 * 11:29 1C 9:22 † 11:30 2C 12:5 ‡ 11:31 2C 1:23 § 11:33 Ac 9:24-25