El gloriarse^a es necesario, aunque no es provechoso; pasaré entonces a las visiones y revelaciones del Señor^b. 2 Conozco a un hombre en Cristo^a, que hace catorce años (no sé si en el cuerpo, no sé si fuera del cuerpo, Dios lo sabe^b) el tal fue arrebatado hasta el tercer cielo^c. 3 Y conozco a tal hombre (si en el cuerpo o fuera¹ del cuerpo no lo sé, Dios lo sabe^a) 4 que fue arrebatado al paraíso^a, y escuchó palabras inefables que al hombre no se le permite expresar. 5 De tal hombre sí me gloriaré^a; pero en cuanto a mí mismo, no me gloriaré sino en mis debilidades^b. 6 Porque si quisiera gloriarme, no sería insensato, pues diría la verdad^a; mas me abstengo de hacerlo para que nadie piense de mí más de lo que ve en mí, u oye de mí. 7 Y dada la extraordinaria grandeza de las revelaciones^a, por esta razón, para impedir que me enalteciera, me fue dada una espina en la carne^b, un mensajero de Satanás^c que me abofetee, para que no me enaltezca. 8 Acerca de esto, tres veces^a he rogado al Señor para que lo quitara de mí. 9 Y Él me ha dicho: Te basta mi gracia, pues mi¹ poder^a se perfecciona en la debilidad. Por tanto, muy gustosamente me gloriaré más bien en mis debilidades^b, para que el poder de Cristo more en mí. 10 Por eso me complazco en las debilidades, en insultos¹, en privaciones, en persecuciones y en angustias^a por amor a Cristo^b; porque cuando soy débil, entonces soy fuerte^c.

11 Me he vuelto insensato^a; vosotros me obligasteis a ello. Pues yo debiera haber sido encomiado por vosotros, porque en ningún sentido fui inferior a los más eminentes apóstoles^1b, aunque nada soy^c. 12 Entre vosotros se operaron las señales¹ de un verdadero apóstol², con toda perseverancia, por medio de señales³, prodigios, y milagros^4a. 13 Pues ¿en qué fuisteis tratados como inferiores a las demás iglesias, excepto en que yo mismo no fui una carga para vosotros^a? ¡Perdonadme este agravio^b!

14 He aquí, esta es la tercera vez que estoy preparado para ir a vosotros^a, y no os seré una carga^b, pues no busco lo que es vuestro^c, sino a vosotros^d; porque los hijos^e no tienen la responsabilidad de atesorar para sus padres, sino los padres^f para sus hijos. 15 Y yo muy gustosamente gastaré lo mío, y aun yo mismo me gastaré por vuestras almas^a. Si os amo más, ¿seré amado menos^b? 16 Pero, en todo caso, yo no os fui carga^a; no obstante, siendo astuto, os sorprendí con engaño^b. 17 ¿Acaso he tomado ventaja de vosotros por medio de alguno de los que os he enviado^a? 18 A Tito le rogué que fuera^a, y con él envié al hermano^b. ¿Acaso obtuvo Tito ventaja de vosotros? ¿No nos hemos conducido¹ nosotros en el mismo espíritu^2c y seguido las mismas pisadas^d?

19 Todo este tiempo habéis estado pensando que nos defendíamos ante vosotros¹. En realidad, es delante de Dios que hemos estado hablando en Cristo^a; y todo, amados^b, para vuestra edificación^c. 20 Porque temo que quizá cuando yo vaya, halle que no sois lo que deseo^a, y yo sea hallado por vosotros que no soy lo que deseáis; que quizá haya pleitos, celos^b, enojos^c, rivalidades^d, difamaciones, chismes, arrogancia^e, desórdenes^f; 21 temo que cuando os visite¹ de nuevo, mi Dios me humille delante de vosotros, y yo tenga que llorar por muchos que han pecado anteriormente^a y no se han arrepentido de la impureza, inmoralidad y sensualidad^b que han practicado.

It is necessary to ^aboast, though nothing is gained by it; but I will go on to visions and ^brevelations of the Lord. 2 I know a ¹man ^ain Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, only ^bGod knows—such a man was ^ccaught up to the ^2dthird heaven. Luke 23:43 3 And I know that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, only ^aGod knows— 4 was ^acaught up into ^1bParadise and heard inexpressible words which man is not permitted to speak words too sacred to tell. 5 ^aOn behalf of such a man and his experiences I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my ^bweaknesses. 6 If I wish to boast, I will not be ^afoolish, ^bbecause I will be speaking the truth. But I abstain from it, so that no one will credit me with more than is justified by what he sees in me or hears from me.

7 Because of the surpassing greatness and extraordinary nature of the ^arevelations which I received from God, for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a ^bthorn in the flesh was given to me, a ^cmessenger of Satan, to torment and harass me—to keep me from exalting myself! Job 2:6 8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord ^athree times that it might leave me; 9 but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation; for My ^apower is being perfected and is completed and shows itself most effectively in your weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly ^bboast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may completely enfold me and may dwell in me. 10 So ^aI am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with ^bdistresses, with ^cpersecutions, and with ^ddifficulties, ^efor the sake of Christ; for ^fwhen I am weak in human strength, then I am strong truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength.

11 Now I have become ^afoolish; you have forced me by questioning my apostleship. Actually I should have been commended by you instead of being treated disdainfully, for ^bI was not inferior to those ¹super-apostles, even if ^cI am nobody. 12 The ^asigns that indicate a genuine apostle were performed among you fully and most patiently—signs and wonders and miracles. 13 For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except for the fact that ^aI did not burden you with my financial support? Forgive me for doing you ^bthis injustice!

14 Now ^afor the third time I am ready to visit you. I ^bwill not burden you financially, because I ^cdo not want what is yours not your money or your possessions, but ^dyou. For ^echildren are not responsible to save up for their parents, but ^fparents for their children. 15 But I will ^avery gladly spend my own resources and be utterly spent for your souls. If ^bI love you greatly, am I to be loved less by you? 16 But be that as it may, I ^adid not burden you with my support. But some say that I was sly and ^btook you by trickery. 17 ^aDid I take advantage of you or make any money off you through any of the messengers I sent you? Certainly not! 18 I ^aurged ^bTitus to go, and I sent ^cthe brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? No! Did we not conduct ourselves in the same ^dspirit and walk ^ein the same steps? Of course!

19 All this time you have been thinking that we are merely defending ourselves to you. ^aIt is in the sight of God that we have been speaking as one in Christ; and ^beverything, ^cdearly beloved, is to strengthen you spiritually. 20 For I am afraid that perhaps ^awhen I come I may find you not to be as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be ^bstrife, jealousy, ^cangry tempers, ^ddisputes, ^eslander, ^fgossip, ^garrogance and ^hdisorder; 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have ^asinned in the past and not repented of the ^bimpurity, sexual immorality and decadence which they formerly practiced.

^aBoasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and ^brevelations ¹of the Lord. 2 I know a man ^ain Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, ^bGod knows—such a man was ^ccaught up to the ^dthird heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, ^aGod knows— 4 was ^acaught up into ^bParadise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5 ^aOn behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my ^bweaknesses. 6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be ^afoolish, ^bfor I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.

7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the ^arevelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a ^bthorn in the flesh, a ^cmessenger of Satan to ¹torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord ^athree times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for ^apower is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather ^bboast ¹about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore ^aI am well content with weaknesses, with ¹insults, with ^bdistresses, with ^cpersecutions, with ^ddifficulties, ^efor Christ’s sake; for ^fwhen I am weak, then I am strong.

11 I have become ^afoolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for ^bin no respect was I inferior to the ¹most eminent apostles, even though ^cI am a nobody. 12 The ^1asigns ²of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by ³signs and wonders and ⁴miracles. 13 For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that ^aI myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me ^bthis wrong!

14 Here ^afor this third time I am ready to come to you, and I ^bwill not be a burden to you; for I ^cdo not seek what is yours, but ^dyou; for ^echildren are not responsible to save up for their parents, but ^fparents for their children. 15 I will ^amost gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If ^bI love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But be that as it may, I ^adid not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I ^btook you in by deceit. 17 ^aCertainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? 18 I ^aurged ^bTitus to go, and I sent ^cthe brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not ¹conduct ourselves ²in the same ^dspirit and walk ^ein the same steps?

19 All this time ¹you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, ^ait is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and ^ball for your upbuilding, ^cbeloved. 20 For I am afraid that perhaps ^awhen I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be ^bstrife, jealousy, ^cangry tempers, ^ddisputes, ^eslanders, ^fgossip, ^garrogance, ^hdisturbances; 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have ^asinned in the past and not repented of the ^bimpurity, ¹immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.