| International Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1I must boast, although it does not do any good. Let's talk about visions and revelations from the Lord. | 1I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. |
| 2I know a man who belongs to the Messiah. Fourteen years ago—whether in his body or outside of his body, I do not know, but God knows—that man was snatched away to the third heaven. | 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 the body I do not know--God knows. |
| 3I know that this man—whether in his body or outside of his body, I do not know, but God knows— | 3And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-- |
| 4was snatched away to Paradise and heard things that cannot be expressed in words, things that no human being has a right even to mention. | 4was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. |
| 5I will boast about this man, but as for myself I will boast only about my weaknesses. | 5I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. |
| 6However, if I did want to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I am not going to do it in order to keep anyone from thinking more of me than what he sees and hears about me. | 6Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, |
| 7To keep me from becoming conceited because of the exceptional nature of these revelations, a thorn was given to me and placed in my body. It was Satan's messenger to keep on tormenting me so that I would not become conceited. | 7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. |
| 8I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me, | 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. |
| 9but he has told me, "My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah's power may rest on me. | 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. |
| 10That is why I take such pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for the Messiah's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong. | 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. |
| 11I have become a fool. You forced me to be one. Really, I should have been commended by you, for I am not in any way inferior to your "super-apostles," even if I am nothing. | 11I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the "super-apostles," even though I am nothing. |
| 12The signs of an apostle were performed among you with utmost patience—signs, wonders, and powerful actions. | 12I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. |
| 13How were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I did not bother you for help? Forgive me for this wrong! | 13How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong! |
| 14Now I'm ready to visit you for a third time, and I will not bother you for help. I do not want your things, but rather you yourselves. Children should not have to support their parents, but parents their children. | 14Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. |
| 15I will be very glad to spend my money and myself for you. Do you love me less because I love you so much? | 15So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? |
| 16Granting that I have not been a burden to you, was I a clever schemer who trapped you by some trick? | 16Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! |
| 17I did not take advantage of you through any of the men I sent you, did I? | 17Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? |
| 18I encouraged Titus to visit you, and I sent along with him the brother you know so well. Titus didn't take advantage of you, did he? We conducted ourselves with the same spirit, didn't we? We took the very same steps, didn't we? | 18I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit? |
| 19Have you been thinking all along that we are trying to defend ourselves before you? We are speaking before God in the authority of the Messiah, and everything, dear friends, is meant to build you up. | 19Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. |
| 20I am afraid that I may come and somehow find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me. Perhaps there will be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly conduct. | 20For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. |
| 21I am afraid that when I come my God may again humble me before you and that I may have to grieve over many who formerly lived in sin and have not repented of their impurity, sexual immorality, and promiscuity that they once practiced. | 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 the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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