16 I repeat, ^rlet no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying ^swith this boastful confidence, ^tI say not as the Lord would¹ but as a fool. 18 Since ^umany boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, ^vbeing wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone ^wmakes slaves of you, or ^xdevours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or ^ystrikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, ^zwe were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 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,² 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.