^aBoasting is necessary, though it is not beneficial; 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 ^aIn behalf of such a man I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except regarding 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 extraordinary greatness of the ^arevelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a ^bthorn in the flesh, a ^cmessenger of Satan to ¹torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I pleaded with 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 delight in weaknesses, in ¹insults, in ^bdistresses, in ^cpersecutions, in ^ddifficulties, ^ein behalf of Christ; 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, since I was ^bin no respect inferior to the ¹most eminent apostles, even though ^cI am a nobody. 12 The ^adistinguishing marks ¹of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by ²signs, wonders, and ³miracles. 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, devious person 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 building you up, ^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, ^dselfishness, ^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, sexual immorality, and indecent behavior which they have practiced.