10:1 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! --
10:1 I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!--

10:2 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.
10:2 I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards.

10:3 For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war,
10:3 Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards;

10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments

10:5 We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
10:5 and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

10:6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
10:6 We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.

10:7 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.
10:7 Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we.

10:8 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.
10:8 Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.

10:9 I would not seem to be frightening you with letters.
10:9 I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters.

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

10:11 Let such people understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.
10:11 Let such people understand that what we say by letter when absent, we will also do when present.

10:12 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.
10:12 We do not dare to classify 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 do not show good sense.

10:13 But we will not boast beyond limit, but will keep to the limits God has apportioned us, to reach even to you.
10:13 We, however, will not boast beyond limits, but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you.

10:14 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.
10:14 For we were not overstepping our limits when we reached you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the good news of Christ.

10:15 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,
10:15 We do not boast beyond limits, that is, in the labors of others; but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our sphere of action among you may be greatly enlarged,

10:16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's field.
10:16 so that we may proclaim the good news in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in someone else's sphere of action.

10:17 "Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord."
10:17 "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

10:18 For it is not the man who commends himself that is accepted, but the man whom the Lord commends.
10:18 For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.