¹² It is the same to me if I am looked down on or honoured; everywhere and in all things I have the secret of how to be full and how to go without food; how to have wealth and how to be in need.

²⁷ In hard work and weariness, in frequent watchings, going without food and drink, cold and in need of clothing.

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.

⁹ And when I was present with you, and was in need, I let no man be responsible for me; for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, gave me whatever was needed; and in everything I kept myself from being a trouble to you, and I will go on doing so.

⁴ But in everything making it clear that we are the servants of God, in quiet strength, in troubles, in need, in sorrow,

⁵ In blows, in prisons, in attacks, in hard work, in watchings, in going without food;

⁶ In a clean heart, in knowledge, in long waiting, in being kind, in the Holy Spirit, in true love,

⁷ In the true word, in the power of God; with the arms of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

⁸ By glory and by shame, by an evil name and a good name; as untrue, and still true;

⁹ Unnoted, but still kept fully in mind; as near to death, but still living; as undergoing punishment, but not put to death;

¹⁰ As full of sorrow, but ever glad; as poor, but giving wealth to others; as having nothing, but still having all things.

²⁹ Take my yoke on you and become like me, for I am gentle and without pride, and you will have rest for your souls;

²⁰ For this was not the teaching of Christ which was given to you;

²¹ If in fact you gave ear to him, and were given teaching in him, even as what is true is made clear in Jesus:

⁷ Or did I do wrong in making myself low so that you might be lifted up, because I gave you the good news of God without reward?

¹⁰ For his letters, they say, have weight and are strong; but in body he is feeble, and his way of talking has little force.

¹ Now I, Paul, myself make request to you by the quiet and gentle behaviour of Christ, I who am poor in spirit when with you, but who say what is in my mind to you without fear when I am away from you:

⁹ For it seems to me that God has put us the Apostles last of all, as men whose fate is death: for we are put on view to the world, and to angels, and to men.

¹⁰ We are made to seem foolish for Christ, but you are wise in Christ; we are feeble, but you are strong; you have glory, but we have shame.

¹¹ Even to this hour we are without food, drink, and clothing, we are given blows and have no certain resting-place;

¹² And with our hands we do the hardest work: when they give us curses we give blessings, when we undergo punishment we take it quietly;

¹³ When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers: we are made as the unclean things of the world, as that for which no one has any use, even till now.

⁵² And he said to them, For this reason every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house, who gives out from his store things new and old.

¹⁹ Truly, after I had been turned, I had regret for my ways; and after I had got knowledge, I made signs of sorrow: I was put to shame, truly, I was covered with shame, because I had to undergo the shame of my early years.

¹¹ For the Lord, controlling me with a strong hand, gave me orders not to go in the way of this people, saying,

²⁰ And you gave your good spirit to be their teacher, and did not keep back your manna from their mouths, and gave them water when they had need of it.

¹⁰ He came to him in the waste land, in the unpeopled waste of sand: putting his arms round him and caring for him, he kept him as the light of his eye.