2 corinthians 11 (NMV)
1 I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, please put up with me!
2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear that, just as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
5 Now I consider myself in no way inferior to those "super-apostles."
6 Even if I am untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. In every way we have made this clear to you in everything.
7 Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the good news of God to you free of charge?
8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you.
9 When I was present with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I kept myself, and will keep myself, from being a burden to you in any way.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I don't love you? God knows I do!
12 But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to undermine those who want to claim they are equal to us in the things they boast about.
13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder, for Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 So it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.
16 I repeat: Let no one consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
17 What I am saying in this matter of boasting, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as if in foolishness.
18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I will also boast.
19 For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise!
20 In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, exploits you, takes advantage of you, puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.
21 I say this to our shame: We were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast about, I'm speaking foolishly, I also dare:
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23 Are they servants of Christ? I'm speaking like a madman, I am more: with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, worse beatings, and many times facing death.
24 Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea.
26 On frequent journeys, I faced danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles [non-Jews], danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, and danger among false brothers;
27 in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with concern?
30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things that show my weakness.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever praised, knows I am not lying.
32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to arrest me,
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.