I know a man in Christ(A) who fourteen years ago was caught up(B) to the third heaven.(C) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.(D) And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up(E) to paradise(F) and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.(G) Even if I should choose to boast,(H) I would not be a fool,(I) because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations.(J) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,(K) a messenger of Satan,(L) to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.(M) But he said to me, “My grace(N) is sufficient for you, for my power(O) is made perfect in weakness.(P)(Q) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight(R) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,(S) in persecutions,(T) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.(U)

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