22 Are they Hebrews? ^aSo am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ^bservants of Christ? ^cI am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, ^dfar more imprisonments, ^ewith countless beatings, and ^foften near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the ^gforty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was ^hbeaten with rods. ⁱOnce I was stoned. Three times I ^jwas shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^kdanger from my own people, ^ldanger from Gentiles, ^mdanger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 ⁿin toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, ^oin hunger and thirst, often without food,¹ in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for ^pall the churches. 29 ^qWho is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 ^rIf I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 ^sThe God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^the who is blessed forever, ^uknows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas ^vwas guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 ^wbut I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

1 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and ^xrevelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man ^yin Christ who fourteen years ago was ^zcaught up to ^athe third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, ^bGod knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into ^cparadise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, ^bGod knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, ^dexcept of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, ^eI would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So ^fto keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,^{2 g}a thorn was given me in the flesh, ^ha messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 ⁱThree times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, ^j“My grace is sufficient for you, for ^kmy power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that ^lthe power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 ^mFor the sake of Christ, then, ⁿI am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For ^owhen I am weak, then I am strong.