2 Corinthians 12:1–10

Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

12I must go on boasting.^r Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations^s from the Lord. ²I know a man in Christ^t who fourteen years ago was caught up^u to the third heaven.^v Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.^{w 3}And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—⁴was caught up^x to paradise^y and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.^{z 6}Even if I should choose to boast,^a I would not be a fool,^b because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^c Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^d a messenger of Satan,^e to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{f 9}But he said to me, “My grace^g is sufficient for you, for my power^h is made perfect in weakness.ⁱ”^j Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight^k in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^l in persecutions,^m in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.ⁿ