King James Version2 Corinthians12

2 Corinthians

1 It is not ex­pe­di­ent for me doubt­less to glo­ry. I will come to vi­sions and rev­e­la­tions of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above four­teen years ago, (whether in the body, I can­not tell; or whether out of the body, I can­not tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heav­en. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I can­not tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into par­adise, and heard un­speak­able words, which it is not law­ful for a man to ut­ter. 5 Of such an one will I glo­ry: yet of my­self I will not glo­ry, but in mine in­fir­mi­ties. 6 For though I would de­sire to glo­ry, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I for­bear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me ­to be, or that he heareth of me. 7 And lest I should be ex­alt­ed above mea­sure through the abun­dance of the rev­e­la­tions, there was giv­en to me a thorn in the flesh, the mes­sen­ger of Sa­tan to buf­fet me, lest I should be ex­alt­ed above mea­sure. 8 For this thing I be­sought the Lord thrice, that it might de­part from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is suf­fi­cient for thee: for my strength is made per­fect in weak­ness. Most glad­ly there­fore will I rather glo­ry in my in­fir­mi­ties, that the pow­er of Christ may rest upon me. 10 There­fore I take plea­sure in in­fir­mi­ties, in re­proach­es, in ne­ces­si­ties, in per­se­cu­tions, in dis­tress­es for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 11 I am be­come a fool in glo­ry­ing; ye have com­pelled me: for I ought to have been com­mend­ed of you: for in noth­ing am I be­hind the very chiefest apos­tles, though I be noth­ing. 12 Tru­ly the signs of an apos­tle were wrought among you in all pa­tience, in signs, and won­ders, and mighty deeds. 13 For what is it where­in ye were in­fe­ri­or to oth­er church­es, ex­cept it be that I my­self was not bur­den­some to you? for­give me this wrong. 14 Be­hold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be bur­den­some to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the chil­dren ought not to lay up for the par­ents, but the par­ents for the chil­dren. 15 And I will very glad­ly spend and be spent for you; though the more abun­dant­ly I love you, the less I be loved. 16 But be it so, I did not bur­den you: nev­er­the­less, be­ing crafty, I caught you with guile. 17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 18 I de­sired Ti­tus, and with him I sent a broth­er. Did Ti­tus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spir­it? walked we not in the same steps? 19 Again, think ye that we ex­cuse our­selves unto you? we speak be­fore God in Christ: but we do all things, dear­ly beloved, for your ed­i­fy­ing. 20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be de­bates, en­vy­ings, wraths, strifes, back­bit­ings, whis­per­ings, swellings, tu­mults: 21 And lest, when I come again, my God will hum­ble me among you, and that I shall be­wail many which have sinned al­ready, and have not re­pent­ed of the un­clean­ness and for­ni­ca­tion and las­civ­i­ous­ness which they have com­mit­ted.