MODERN LITERAL VERSION

10:1 Now I, Paul, myself, encourage you* through the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who when face to face am indeed humble among you*, but being absent am courageous toward you*.
10:2 Now I beseech you *, that being present*, I may not need to be courageous with the confidence with which I reason to be daring toward some, (those who reason of us as if we walked according to the flesh).
10:3 For* although we are walking in the flesh, we are not warring according to the flesh.
10:4 For* the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are mighty with God, toward the demolition of strongholds,
10:5 demolishing evil reasonings and every exalted thing that is lifting itself up against the knowledge of God and capturing every device of the Adversary to the obedience of Christ;
10:6 and having in readiness to avenge all disobedience*, whenever your* obedience is fulfilled.

10:7 Are you* looking at these according to their countenance? If anyone has confidence in himself that he is Christ's, let him count this again from within himself, that, just-as he is Christ's, so are we also Christ's.
10:8 For* even if I am boasting even-more of anything concerning our authority (which the Lord gave to us *for your* building up and not *for your* demolition), I will not be ashamed;
10:9 that* I may not seem as if I wished to make you* fearful through my letters.
10:10 Because indeed he says, The letters are weighty and strong, but the body's presence is weak and the speech has been nothing.
10:11 Let such a one count this, that, such-as we are in word through letters when we are absent, such will we also be in works, when we are present*.
10:12 For* we are not daring to class or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves, but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.
10:13 Now we will not boast in the immeasurable things, but according to the measure of the standard* which the God of measure divided to us which is able to reach even to you*.
10:14 For* we do not overstretch ourselves, as though we are not reaching toward you*; {F} for* we attained even to you* in the good-news of Christ.
10:15 We were not boasting in the immeasurable things, (that is in another's labors), but having hope that as your* faith grows, we will be magnified by you*, according to our standard*, *for abundance,
10:16 reaching out to proclaim the good-news to what lies beyond you* and not to boast in the things prepared in another's standard*.
10:17 But he who is boasting, let him boast in the Lord.
10:18 For* he who commends himself is not approved after being tested, but whom the Lord is commending.
{Footnotes: 2Co 10:14 Or: for* even as far as you, we arrived with the good-news. }