³⁰ If I have to take credit to myself, I will do so in the things in which I am feeble.

³ And I was with you without strength, in fear and in doubt.

⁵ On account of such a one I will have glory: for myself I will take no glory, but only in my feeble body.

⁶ For if I had a desire to take credit to myself, it would not be foolish, for I would be saying what is true: but I will not, for fear that I might seem to any man more than he sees me to be, or has word from me that I am.

⁷ And because the revelations were so very great, in order that I might not be overmuch lifted up, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, one sent from Satan to give me pain.

⁸ And about this thing I made request to the Lord three times that it might be taken away from me.

⁹ And he said to me, My grace is enough for you, for my power is made complete in what is feeble. Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me.

¹⁰ So I take pleasure in being feeble, in unkind words, in needs, in cruel attacks, in troubles, on account of Christ: for when I am feeble, then am I strong.

¹¹ I have been forced by you to become foolish, though it was right for my praise to have come from you: for in no way was I less than the chief of the Apostles, though I am nothing.

²⁷ It is not good to take much honey: so he who is not looking for honour will be honoured.

² Let another man give you praise, and not your mouth; one who is strange to you, and not your lips.

²³ This is the word of the Lord: Let not the wise man take pride in his wisdom, or the strong man in his strength, or the man of wealth in his wealth:

²⁴ But if any man has pride, let it be in this, that he has the wisdom to have knowledge of me, that I am the Lord, working mercy, giving true decisions, and doing righteousness in the earth: for in these things I have delight, says the Lord.

¹⁶ I say again, Let me not seem foolish to anyone; but if I do, put up with me as such, so that I may take a little glory to myself.

¹⁷ What I am now saying is not by the order of the Lord, but as a foolish person, taking credit to myself, as it seems.

¹⁸ Seeing that there are those who take credit to themselves after the flesh, I will do the same.

¹ As it is necessary for me to take glory to myself, though it is not a good thing, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

²⁴ Now I have joy in my pain because of you, and in my flesh I undergo whatever is still needed to make the sorrows of Christ complete, for the salvation of his body, the church;