Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting.r Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelationss from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christt who fourteen years ago was caught upu 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—4 was caught upx to paradisey and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I 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, 7 or 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. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.f 9 But he said to me, “My graceg is sufficient for you, for my powerh 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. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delightk in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,l in persecutions,m in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.n