¹² I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound: in everything and in all things have I learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want.

²⁷ `in' labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

⁷ And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch.

⁸ Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

⁹ And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for `my' power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

¹⁰ Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

⁹ and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and `so' will I keep `myself'.

⁴ but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

⁵ in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;

⁶ in pureness, in knowledge, in long suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,

⁷ in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

⁸ by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and `yet' true;

⁹ as unknown, and `yet' well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and `yet' possessing all things.

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

²⁰ But ye did not so learn Christ;

²¹ if so be that ye heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:

⁷ Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought?

¹⁰ For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.

¹ Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:

⁹ For, I think, God hath set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, both to angels and men.

¹⁰ We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye have glory, but we have dishonor.

¹¹ Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place;

¹² and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

¹³ being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now.

⁵² And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

¹⁹ Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

¹¹ For Jehovah spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

²⁰ Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

¹⁰ He found him in a desert land, And in the waste howling wilderness; He compassed him about, he cared for him, He kept him as the apple of his eye.