§12.1Καυχᾶσθαι δεῖ· οὐ συμφέρον μέν, ἐλεύσομαι δὲ εἰς ὀπτασίας καὶ ἀποκαλύψεις Κυρίου.
It is necessary to boast; though it is not profitable, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
§12.2οἶδα ἄνθρωπον ἐν Χριστῷ πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων, —εἴτε ἐν σώματι οὐκ οἶδα, εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος οὐκ οἶδα, ὁ θεὸς οἶδεν, —ἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—was caught up to the third heaven.
§12.3καὶ οἶδα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἄνθρωπον,—εἴτε ἐν σώματι εἴτε χωρὶς τοῦ σώματος [οὐκ οἶδα,] ὁ θεὸς οἶδεν, §12.4—ὅτι ἡρπάγη εἰς τὸν παράδεισον καὶ ἤκουσεν ἄρρητα ῥήματα ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι.
And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body [I do not know,] God knows— —was caught up into paradise and heard things that cannot be told, which man is not permitted to utter.
§12.5ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοιούτου καυχήσομαι, ὑπὲρ δὲ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐ καυχήσομαι εἰ μὴ ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις.
On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.
§12.6ἐὰν γὰρ θελήσω καυχήσασθαι, οὐκ ἔσομαι ἄφρων, ἀλήθειαν γὰρ ἐρῶ·
For if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth.
φείδομαι δέ, μή τις εἰς ἐμὲ λογίσηται ὑπὲρ ὃ βλέπει με ἢ ἀκούει ἐξ ἐμοῦ, §12.7καὶ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τῶν ἀποκαλύψεων.
But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me, and because of the abundance of the revelations.
διὸ ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρωμαι, ἐδόθη μοι σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί, ἄγγελος Σατανᾶ, ἵνα με κολαφίζῃ, ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρωμαι.
Therefore, so that I would not become too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, so that I would not become too elated.
§12.8ὑπὲρ τούτου τρὶς τὸν κύριον παρεκάλεσα ἵνα ἀποστῇ ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ·
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
καὶ εἴρηκέν μοι Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται. §12.9Ἥδιστα οὖν μᾶλλον καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις, ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπʼ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ χριστοῦ.
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell upon me.
§12.10διὸ εὐδοκῶ ἐν ἀσθενείαις, ἐν ὕβρεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν διωγμοῖς καὶ στενοχωρίαις, ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ· ὅταν γὰρ ἀσθενῶ, τότε δυνατός εἰμι.
For this reason I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
§12.11Γέγονα ἄφρων·
I have been a fool!
ὑμεῖς με ἠναγκάσατε· ἐγὼ γὰρ ὤφειλον ὑφʼ ὑμῶν συνίστασθαι.
You forced me to it; for I ought to have been commended by you.
οὐδὲν γὰρ ὑστέρησα τῶν ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων, εἰ καὶ οὐδέν εἰμι·
For I am not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing.
§12.12τὰ μὲν σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν πάσῃ ὑπομονῇ, σημείοις [τε] καὶ τέρασιν καὶ δυνάμεσιν.
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.
§12.13τί γάρ ἐστιν ὃ ἡσσώθητε ὑπὲρ τὰς λοιπὰς ἐκκλησίας, εἰ μὴ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐγὼ οὐ κατενάρκησα ὑμῶν;
For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you?
χαρίσασθέ μοι τὴν ἀδικίαν ταύτην.
Forgive me this wrong!
§12.14Ἰδοὺ τρίτον τοῦτο ἑτοίμως ἔχω ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ οὐ καταναρκήσω·
Here for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not burden you.
οὐ γὰρ ζητῶ τὰ ὑμῶν ἀλλὰ ὑμᾶς, οὐ γὰρ ὀφείλει τὰ τέκνα τοῖς γονεῦσιν θησαυρίζειν, ἀλλὰ οἱ γονεῖς τοῖς τέκνοις.
For I seek not what is yours but you; for children ought not to lay up for their parents, but parents for their children.
§12.15ἐγὼ δὲ ἥδιστα δαπανήσω καὶ ἐκδαπανηθήσομαι ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν.
I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.
εἰ περισσοτέρως ὑμᾶς ἀγαπῶ, ἧσσον ἀγαπῶμαι;
If I love you more, am I to be loved less?
§12.16Ἔστω δέ, ἐγὼ οὐ κατεβάρησα ὑμᾶς·
But be that as it may, I did not burden you.
ἀλλὰ ὑπάρχων πανοῦργος δόλῳ ὑμᾶς ἔλαβον.
But, being crafty, I caught you by deceit!
§12.17μή τινα ὧν ἀπέσταλκα πρὸς ὑμᾶς, διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐπλεονέκτησα ὑμᾶς;
Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you?
§12.18παρεκάλεσα Τίτον καὶ συναπέστειλα τὸν ἀδελφόν·
I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him.
μήτι ἐπλεονέκτησεν ὑμᾶς Τίτος;
Did Titus take advantage of you?
οὐ τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι περιεπατήσαμεν;
Did we not act in the same spirit?
οὐ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἴχνεσιν;
Did we not take the same steps?
§12.19Πάλαι δοκεῖτε ὅτι ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα;
Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you?
κατέναντι θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν. τὰ δὲ πάντα, ἀγαπητοί, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς,
It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ. and all for your upbuilding, beloved.
§12.20φοβοῦμαι γὰρ μή πως ἐλθὼν οὐχ οἵους θέλω εὕρω ὑμᾶς, κἀγὼ εὑρεθῶ ὑμῖν οἷον οὐ θέλετε, μή πως ἔρις, ζῆλος, θυμοί, ἐριθίαι, καταλαλιαί, ψιθυρισμοί, φυσιώσεις, ἀκαταστασίαι·
For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not such as I wish, and that you may find me not such as you wish; that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
§12.21μὴ πάλιν ἐλθόντος μου ταπεινώσῃ με ὁ θεός μου πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ πενθήσω πολλοὺς τῶν προημαρτηκότων καὶ μὴ μετανοησάντων ἐπὶ τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ καὶ πορνείᾳ καὶ ἀσελγείᾳ ᾗ ἔπραξαν.
I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.