2 Corinthians 10

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Now I myself, Paul, urge you through the gentleness and clemency of Christ, I who am humble when face to face with you, but brave toward you when absent,	1 But I myself, Paul, am begging you, through the meekness and modesty of Christ. I am certainly, by appearances, lowly among you, yet I have confidence in you, even while I am absent.
2 I beg you that, when present, I may not have to be brave with that confidence with which I intend to act boldly against some who consider us as acting according to the flesh.	2 So I am petitioning you, lest I be bold, when present, with that bold confidence that I am considered to have by certain ones who judge us as if we were walking according to the flesh.
3 For, although we are in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh,	3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh.
4 for the weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses. We destroy arguments	4 For the weapons of our battles are not carnal, yet still they are powerful with God, unto the destruction of fortifications: tearing down every counsel
5 and every pretension raising itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ,	5 and height that extols itself contrary to the wisdom of God, and leading every intellect into the captivity of obedience to Christ,
6 and we are ready to punish every disobedience, once your obedience is complete.	6 and standing ready to repudiate every disobedience, when your own obedience has been fulfilled.
7 Look at what confronts you. Whoever is confident of belonging to Christ should consider that as he belongs to Christ, so do we.	7 Consider the things that are in accord with appearances. If anyone trusts that by these things he belongs to Christ, let him reconsider this within himself. For just as he belongs to Christ, so also do we.
8 And even if I should boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I shall not be put to shame.	8 And if I were even to glory somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord has given to us for your edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed.
9 May I not seem as one frightening you through letters.	9 But let it not be said that I am scaring you by means of epistles.
10 For someone will say, "His letters are severe and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible."	10 For they say: “His epistles, indeed, are weighty and strong. But his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is contemptible.”
11 Such a person must understand that what we are in word through letters when absent, that we also are in action when present.	11 Let someone like this realize that whatever we are in word through epistles, while absent: we are much the same in deed, while present.
12 Not that we dare to class or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.	12 For we would not dare to interpose or compare ourselves with certain ones who commend themselves. But we measure ourselves by ourselves, and we compare ourselves with ourselves.
13 But we will not boast beyond measure but will keep to the limits God has apportioned us, namely, to reach even to you.	13 Thus, we will not glory beyond our measure, but rather according to the measure of the limit which God has measured out to us, a measure which extends even to you.
14 For we are not overreaching ourselves, as though we did not reach you; we indeed first came to you with the gospel of Christ.	14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we are not able to reach as far as you are able. For we have gone even as far as you have in the Gospel of Christ.
15 We are not boasting beyond measure, in other people's labors; yet our hope is that, as your faith increases, our influence among you may be greatly enlarged, within our proper limits,	15 We are not glorying immeasurably over the labors of others. Instead, we hold on to the hope of your growing faith, so as to be magnified in you, according to our own limits, but in abundance,
16 so that we may preach the gospel even beyond you, not boasting of work already done in another's sphere.	16 and even so as to evangelize in those places that are beyond you, not in order to glory in the measure of others, but rather in those things which have already been prepared.
17 "Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord."	17 But whoever glories, let him glory in the Lord.
18 For it is not the one who recommends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord recommends.	18 For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but rather he whom God commends.