| Berean Study Bible | King James Bible |
| 1I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to gain, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. | 1It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. |
| 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows. | 2I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. |
| 3And I know that this man—whether in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows— | 3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) |
| 4was caught up to Paradise. The things he heard were too sacred for words, things that man is not permitted to tell. | 4How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. |
| 5I will boast about such a man, but I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses. | 5Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. |
| 6Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me, | 6For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. |
| 7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. | 7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. |
| 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. | 8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. |
| 9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. | 9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. |
| 10That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. | 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. |
| 11I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. | 11I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. |
| 12The true marks of an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance. | 12Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. |
| 13In what way were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong! | 13For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong. |
| 14See, I am ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden, because I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. | 14Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. |
| 15And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less? | 15And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. |
| 16Be that as it may, I was not a burden to you; but crafty as I am, I caught you by trickery. | 16But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. |
| 17Did I exploit you by anyone I sent you? | 17Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? |
| 18I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps? | 18I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? |
| 19Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up. | 19Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. |
| 20For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. | 20For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: |
| 21I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery. | 21And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. |
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