2 Corinthians 11:22–12:9

22 Are they aHebrews? bSo am I. Are they cIsraelites? cSo am I. Are they 1ddescendants of Abraham? eSo am I.

23 Are they aservants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in 1bfar more labors, in 1cfar more imprisonments, 2dbeaten times without number, often in edanger of death.

24 Five times I received from the Jews athirty-nine lashes.

25 Three times I was abeaten with rods, once I was bstoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my acountrymen, dangers from the bGentiles, dangers in the ccity, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among dfalse brethren;

27 I have been in alabor and hardship, 1through many sleepless nights, in bhunger and thirst, often cwithout food, in cold and 2dexposure.

28 Apart from such 1external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for aall the churches.

29 Who is aweak without my being weak? Who is 1led into sin 2without my intense concern?

30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my aweakness.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, aHe who is blessed forever, bknows that I am not lying.

32 In aDamascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was bguarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,

33 and I was let down in a basket athrough a window 1in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

Chapter 12

Paul’s Vision

1 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.

A Thorn in the Flesh

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.