¹But I myself, Paul, entreat you through the  ²meekness and  ³gentleness of Christ, who (as you say) in person am  ⁴base among you, but while absent am  ⁵bold toward you,

I beseech you that when present I would not have to be bold in the confidence with which I count myself, to dare do to some who count us as ones who are walking according to flesh.

For though we walk  ¹in flesh, we do not war according to flesh;

For the weapons of our warfare are  ¹not fleshly but  ²powerful before God for the overthrowing of strongholds,

As we overthrow  ¹reasonings and every  ²high thing rising up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every  ¹thought unto the obedience of Christ.

And we are ready to  ¹punish all disobedience when your  ²obedience is fulfilled.

You look at things according to their appearance. If someone  ¹has confidence in himself to be of Christ, let him take account of this again concerning himself, that even as he is of Christ, so also are we.

For even if I should boast somewhat more abundantly concerning our authority, which the Lord has given for  ¹building you up and not for overthrowing you, I will not be put to shame.

I say this so as not to seem as if I am terrifying you through my letters,

Because while his letters, someone says, are weighty and strong, his bodily presence is  ¹weak and his speech  ²contemptible.

Let such a one take account of this, that such as we are in word by letters when absent, such also we are in deed when present.

For we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with any of those who commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

But we will  ¹not boast beyond our measure but  ²according to the measure of the  ³rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach even as far as you.

For we are not  ¹extending ourselves beyond our bounds, as if we did not reach you, for we were the first to come even as far as unto you in the gospel of Christ.

We are not boasting beyond our measure in others' labors, but have the hope, as your faith is increasing, to be  ¹magnified in you according to our rule unto abundance,

So that we may announce the gospel unto those parts beyond you, not so that we may boast in another man's rule in things already prepared.

But he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord;

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

I wish that you would bear with me in a little  ¹foolishness; but indeed you do bear with me.

For I am jealous over you with a  ¹jealousy of God; for I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a pure  ²virgin to Christ.

But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your  ¹thoughts would be corrupted from the  ²simplicity and the purity toward Christ.

For if indeed he who comes preaches  ¹another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or you receive a  ¹different spirit, which you have not received, or a  ¹different gospel, which you have not accepted, you bear  ²well with him.

But I count myself to be inferior to the  ¹super-apostles in nothing.

But even if I am a  ¹layman in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; indeed in every way we have made this manifest in all things to you.

Or did I commit a sin, abasing myself that you might be exalted, because I announced the gospel of God to you free of charge?

I robbed other churches, taking wages for the ministry to you.

And when I was present with you and lacked, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia filled up my lack, and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and will keep myself.

The  ¹truthfulness of Christ is in me, that this boasting shall not be stopped as it regards me in the regions of Achaia.

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.

But what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the opportunity of those desiring an opportunity, that in the thing in which they boast, they may be found even as we.

For such ones are  ¹false apostles, deceitful workers,  ²transfiguring themselves into apostles of Christ.

And no wonder, for  ¹Satan himself transfigures himself into an  ²angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing if also his ministers transfigure themselves into  ¹ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Again I say, Let no one think me to be foolish; but if otherwise, accept me even as if I were foolish, that I also may boast a little.

What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord but as if in foolishness, in this  ¹confidence of boasting.

Since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.

For you bear gladly with fools because you yourselves are  ¹wise.

For you bear it if anyone enslaves you, if anyone devours you, if anyone  ¹takes you, if anyone lifts himself up, if anyone beats you in the face.

 ¹By way of self-disparagement I say this,  ²Supposedly we ourselves were weak. But in whatever anyone else is daring, I speak in foolishness, I also am daring.

Hebrews are they? I also. Israelites are they? I also. The  ¹seed of Abraham are they? I also.

Ministers of Christ are they? I speak as being  ¹beside myself, I more so! In labors more abundantly, in imprisonments more abundantly, in stripes  ²excessively, in deaths often.

Under the hands of the Jews five times I received forty stripes less one;

Three times I was beaten with  ¹rods, once I was stoned,  ²three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep;

In journeys often, in dangers of  ¹rivers, in dangers of  ²robbers, in dangers from my race, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers in the sea, in dangers among  ³false brothers;

In labor and hardship; in  ¹watchings often; in hunger and thirst; in  ²fastings often; in  ³cold and  ⁴nakedness —

Apart from the things which have  ¹not been mentioned, there is this: the crowd of cares pressing upon me daily, the  ²anxious concern for all the churches.

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and  ¹I myself do not  ²burn?

If I must boast, I will boast of the  ¹things of my weakness.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

In Damascus, the  ¹governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me;

And in a basket I was lowered through a window, through the wall, and escaped his hands.

To boast is  ¹necessary, though indeed not expedient; yet I will  ²come to  ³visions and revelations of the Lord.

I know a  ¹man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body I do not know, or outside the body I do not know; God knows) such a one was  ²caught away  ³to the  ⁴third heaven.

 ¹And I know such a man (whether in the body or  ²outside the body, I do not know; God knows),

That he was caught away into  ¹Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not allowed for a man to speak.

On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on behalf of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

For if I desire to boast, I will not be foolish, for I will speak the truth; but I refrain lest anyone account of me something above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

And because of the  ¹transcendence of the revelations, in order that I might not be exceedingly lifted up, there was given to me a  ²thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, that he might  ³buffet me, in order that I might not be exceedingly lifted up.

Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

And He has said to me, My  ¹grace is sufficient for you, for My  ²power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather boast in my weaknesses that the power of Christ might  ³tabernacle over me.

Therefore I am  ¹well pleased in weaknesses, in  ²insults, in  ³necessities, in persecutions and  ⁴distresses, on behalf of Christ; for when I am  ⁵weak, then I am powerful.

I have become foolish; you yourselves have compelled me. For it is I who should have been commended by you; for in nothing am I inferior to the  ¹super-apostles, even though I am nothing.

Indeed the  ¹signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all endurance by  ²signs and  ³wonders and  ⁴works of power.

For what is there in which you were  ¹treated in a manner inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you?  ²Graciously forgive me this injustice!

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

But I, I will most gladly  ¹spend and  ²be utterly spent on behalf of your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved less?

But  ¹let it be so! I did not burden you; but, as some of you say, being  ²crafty, I took you by guile.

Did I take advantage of you through anyone whom I have sent to you?

I entreated Titus and sent with him the brother. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not walk in the same  ¹spirit? In the same steps?

All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you.  ¹Before God in Christ we speak; but all things, beloved, are for your building up.

For I fear that perhaps when I come, I may find you not such as I wish, and I may be found by you not such as you wish; that perhaps there may be  ¹strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions,  ²slanders,  ³whisperings,  ⁴demonstrations of being puffed up,  ⁵tumults;

That when I come again my God may humble me before you and I may mourn over many who have sinned before and who have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness which they have practiced.

This third time I am coming to you; at the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

I have previously said and I say beforehand, when I was present the second time and being absent now, to those who have sinned before and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare,

Since you seek a proof of the Christ who is speaking in me, who is not weak unto you but is  ¹powerful in you.

For indeed He was crucified out of  ¹weakness, but He lives  ²by the power of God. For indeed  ³we are weak in Him, but we will live together with Him  ²by the power of God directed toward you.

Test yourselves whether you are in the  ¹faith;  ²prove yourselves. Or do you not realize about yourselves that  ³Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are  ⁴disapproved?

But I hope that you will know that  ¹we are not disapproved.

Now we pray to God that you do nothing wrong,  ¹not that we may appear approved, but that you yourselves may do what is good and we may be as if disapproved.

 ¹For we are not able to do anything against the  ²truth but rather for the truth.

For we rejoice whenever we are  ¹weak and you are powerful; this also we pray for, your  ²perfecting.

Therefore I write these things while being absent in order that when present I would not have to use severity, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for building up and not for overthrowing.

Finally, brothers,  ¹rejoice, be  ²perfected, be  ³comforted,  ⁴think the same thing, be  ⁵at peace; and the God of  ⁶love and peace will be with you.

Greet one another with a  ¹holy kiss.

All the saints greet you.

The  ¹grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.