¹Boasting is actually of no advantage to me, for I will enter into visions and revelations of the Lord. ²I know a man in Christ – whether in the body, I don't know, or whether out of the body, I don't know, God knows – who fourteen years ago was caught up as far as the third heaven. ³And I know this man – whether in the body or out of the body, I don't know, God knows – ⁴how he was caught up in Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not permitted for man to speak. ⁵I will boast about such a person, but I will not boast about myself except in my weaknesses. ⁶For even if I were to want to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would speak the truth. But I will restrain myself in case anyone should consider me to be above what he observes me to be, or what he hears from me. ⁷And so that I do not exalt myself in the special nature of revelations, a thorn in the flesh has been given to me – a messenger of Satan – to harass me so that I do not exalt myself. ⁸I pleaded with the Lord three times about this, that it might depart from me. ⁹And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is brought to completion in weakness.” So I will most gladly boast rather in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside on me. ¹⁰Therefore I am content in weaknesses, in maltreatment, in constrained circumstances, in persecution, in straits, for Christ's sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong. ¹¹I have become foolish in boasting. You forced it on me, for I should have been commended by you. For in no way have I fallen short of the most superlative apostles, even if I am nothing. ¹²The signs of the apostle were performed among you with all endurance, with signs and miracles and deeds of power. ¹³For in what way were you inferior to the other churches, if not in that I myself did not press heavily on you? Forgive me this wrong. ¹⁴Look, I am prepared to come to you a third time, and I will not press heavily on you. For I do not seek what is yours, but you. For it is not that children ought to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. ¹⁵For I will very gladly spend money and be spent for yourselves, even if the more intensely I love you, the less I am loved. ¹⁶Well so be it: “I have not weighed you down, but being crafty, I have taken you in with deceit.” ¹⁷I did not defraud you through any of those I sent to you, did I? ¹⁸I exhorted Titus and sent a brother with him. Surely Titus did not defraud you in any respect? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Was it not in the same tracks? ¹⁹Do you again think we are defending ourselves to you? We speak in the presence of God in Christ, and all these things, my beloved, are for your edification. ²⁰For I am afraid that, if I come, I will not find you as I wish, and I will be found by you not as you wish – that there will be rivalries, jealousies, angry exchanges, strife-ridden situations, backbitings, gossip, conceit, acts of disorder – ²¹surely my God will not humble me before you when I come again, and I shall not mourn many of those who sinned previously and have not repented of their uncleanness and fornication and debauchery which they have committed.