¹To boast it behooves me — it is not profitable, indeed — but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

²I know a man in the Anointed One, fourteen years ago — whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows — such a man was caught up to the third heaven.

³And I know such a man — whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know, God knows —

⁴that he was caught up into the Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not permitted for a man to speak.

⁵Concerning such a man I will boast, but concerning myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses;

⁶For if I should desire to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain, lest anyone may credit to me more than what he sees in me or hears anything of mine.

⁷And by the surpassingness of the revelations — therefore, that I may not become conceited, there was given to me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of the adversary, that he may buffet me, so that I may not become conceited.

⁸For this, three times I begged the Lord that it may depart from me.

⁹And He has said to me: My favor suffices you, for my power is finished in weakness. Therefore most gladly will I rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of the Anointed One may rest upon me.

¹⁰Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions and difficulties for the Anointed One; for when I may be weak, then I am strong.

¹¹I have become a fool boasting; you yourselves compelled me. For I was being obliged to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I inferior to those most eminent sent ones, even if I am no thing.

¹²The signs indeed of the sent one were performed among you in all perseverance, in signs and in wonders and in miracles.

¹³For in what is it that you were inferior beyond the rest of the assemblies, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

¹⁴Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not burden you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you. For the children ought not to treasure up for the parents, but the parents for the children;

¹⁵Now I myself most gladly will spend and will be utterly spent for your souls, even if, loving you more abundantly, I am loved less!

¹⁶However, be it so, I myself did not burden you; but, being crafty, by trickery I caught you.

¹⁷Surely not any of whom I have sent to you — through him did I exploit you?

¹⁸I urged Titus to go and sent the brother with him; surely Titus did not ever exploit you? Surely we walked in the same spirit? Not in the same steps?

¹⁹Previously you have been thinking that we are presenting a defense to you. Before God, in the Anointed One, we speak; but all things, beloved, for your edification.

²⁰For I fear, lest perhaps when I had come I may not find you such as I wish, and I myself may be found by you such as you do not wish; lest perhaps a quarrel, jealousy, anger, contentions, slander, gossip, conceit, disorder,

²¹lest again, when I was coming, my God may humble me before you, and I may mourn over many of those having sinned before and not having repented of the impurity and of sexual immorality and of sensuality that they have practiced.