¹ To boast is not advantageous for me! For$ I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

² I know a man in Christ, who fourteen years before (whether in the body, I do not know or outside of the body, I do not know; God knows), such a one was seized up to the third heaven.

³ And I know such a man (whether in the body or outside of the body, I do not know; God knows),

⁴ that he was seized up into the Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which things are not being legal for man to speak.

⁵ I will be boasting on behalf of such a one, but I will not be boasting on behalf of myself, except in my weaknesses.

⁶ For$ if I should wish to boast, I will not be foolish; for$ I will be speaking truth, but I am refraining, lest anyone should reason in me beyond what he sees from me or hears something out-of me.

⁷ And, in-order-that I should not promote myself by the excellence of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of the Adversary, in-order-that it might batter me, in-order-that I should not promote myself.

⁸ I pleaded with the Lord three-times in regard to this thing in-order-that it might withdraw from me.

⁹ And he has said to me, My grace is enough for you; for$ my power is completed in weakness. Therefore, I will rather gladly be boasting in my weaknesses in-order-that the power of the Christ might reside upon me.

¹⁰ Hence I am delighted in weaknesses, in insults, in calamities, in persecutions, in distresses, on behalf of Christ; for$ whenever I may be weak, then I am mighty.

¹¹ I have become a boasting fool. You° urged me to it. For$ I was obligating to be commended by you°; for$ I lacked in nothing over those preeminent apostles, even if I am nothing.

¹² Indeed the signs of the apostle were worked among you° in all endurance, in signs and wonders and miracles.

¹³ For$ what is it in which you° were lesser, beyond the rest of the congregations$, except in that I myself did not encumber you°? Forgive

¹⁴ Behold, I hold ready to come to you° the third-time, and I will not be encumbering you°; for$ I am not seeking the things of you°, but you°; for$ the children ought not to store up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

¹⁵ Now I will gladly spend and be utterly spent on behalf of your° souls; even if, when loving$ you° even-more, means I am loved$ even-less.

¹⁶ But let it be so, nevertheless, I did not burden you°. But, being$ a crafty person, I took you° with treachery.

¹⁷ Anyone of whom I have sent to you°, I did not take-advantage of you° through him, did I?

¹⁸ I encouraged Titus and I sent the brother together-with him. Titus did not take-advantage of you°, did he? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same footprints?

¹⁹ Again, do you° think that we are defending ourselves to you°? We speak in Christ in God’s sight. But beloved, all things are on behalf of your° building up.

²⁰ For$ I am fearing, lest, if I came, I should find you° such-as I do not will and I might be found by you° such-as you° do not will; lest there should be strifes, jealousies, furies, selfish-ambitions, slanders, malicious whisperers, arrogant-people, unrests;

²¹ lest when I come again, my God will humble me before you° and I will be mourning for many of the ones who have sinned before and did not repent upon the uncleanness and fornication and unbridled-lust in which they practiced.