³ I also was with you in ^(A)weakness and ^(B)fear, and in great trembling,

⁹ And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for ^(A)power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather ^(B)boast ^[a]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore ^(C)I delight in weaknesses, in ^[b]insults, in ^(D)distresses, in ^(E)persecutions, in ^(F)difficulties, ^(G)in behalf of Christ; for ^(H)when I am weak, then I am strong.

¹¹ I have become ^(I)foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, since I was ^(J)in no respect inferior to the ^[c]most eminent apostles, even though ^(K)I am a nobody. ¹² The ^(L)distinguishing marks ^[d]of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by ^[e]signs, wonders, and ^[f]miracles. ¹³ For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that ^(M)I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me ^(N)this wrong!

¹⁴ Here ^(O)for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I ^(P)will not be a burden to you; for I ^(Q)do not seek what is yours, but ^(R)you; for ^(S)children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but ^(T)parents for their children. ¹⁵ I will ^(U)most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If ^(V)I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But be that as it may, I ^(W)did not burden you myself; nevertheless, devious person that I am, I ^(X)took you in by deceit. ^17 (Y)Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? ¹⁸ I ^(Z)urged ^(AA)Titus to go, and I sent ^(AB)the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not ^[g]conduct ourselves ^[h]in the same ^(AC)spirit and walk ^(AD)in the same steps?

¹⁹ All this time ^[i]you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, ^(AE)it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and ^(AF)all for building you up, ^(AG)beloved. ²⁰ For I am afraid that perhaps ^(AH)when I come I may find you to be not what I wish, and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be ^(AI)strife, jealousy, ^(AJ)angry tempers, ^(AK)selfishness, ^(AL)slanders, ^(AM)gossip, ^(AN)arrogance, ^(AO)disturbances; ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have ^(AP)sinned in the past and not repented of the ^(AQ)impurity, sexual immorality, and indecent behavior which they have practiced.