2 Corinthians 11:22-12:10

Jubilee Bible 2000

²² ¶ Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

²³ Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more, in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.

²⁴ Of the Jews five times I received forty stripes less one.

²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned; three times I suffered shipwreck, night and day I have been in the deep;

²⁶ in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by those of my nation, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

²⁷ in labour and travail, in many watches, in hunger and thirst, in many fasts, in cold and nakedness.

²⁸ Beside those things that are without, my daily combat is the welfare of all the congregations. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}

²⁹ Who is sick, and I am not sick? who stumbles, and I burn not?

³⁰ If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern my weakness.

³¹ The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knows that I do not lie.

³² In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me;

³³ and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall and escaped his hands.

12 ¶ Certainly it is not expedient for me to glory, but I will come to the visions and the revelations of the Lord.

² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell; God knows) was caught up to the third heaven.

³ And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell; God knows)

⁴ who was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

⁵ Of such a one I will glory, yet of myself I will not glory, except in my weaknesses.

⁶ Therefore if I should desire to glory in these things, I should not be a fool; for I would say the truth, but now I forbear lest anyone should think of me above that which he sees me to be or that he hears of me.

⁷ And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me above measure, there is given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord three times that it might be taken from me.

⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather glory in my weaknesses that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

¹⁰ Therefore I am content in weaknesses, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then am I strong.