2 Corinthians 12:1-10

New International Reader's Version

Paul’s Vision and His Painful Problem

12 We can’t gain anything by bragging. But I have to do it anyway. I am going to tell you what I’ve seen. I want to talk about what the Lord has shown me. ² I know a believer in Christ who was taken up to the third heaven 14 years ago. I don’t know if his body was taken up or not. Only God knows. ³ I don’t know if that man was in his body or out of it. Only God knows. But I do know that ⁴ he was taken up to paradise. He heard things there that couldn’t be put into words. They were things that no one is allowed to talk about. ⁵ I will brag about a man like that. But I won’t brag about myself. I will brag only about how weak I am. ⁶ Suppose I decide to brag. That would not make me a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I don’t brag, so that no one will think more of me than they should. People should judge me by what I do and say. ⁷ God has shown me amazing and wonderful things. People should not think more of me because of it. So I wouldn’t become proud of myself, I was given a problem. This problem caused pain in my body. It is a messenger from Satan to make me suffer. ⁸ Three times I begged the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So I am very happy to brag about how weak I am. Then Christ’s power can rest on me. ¹⁰ Because of how I suffered for Christ, I’m glad that I am weak. I am glad in hard times. I am glad when people say mean things about me. I am glad when things are difficult. And I am glad when people make me suffer. When I am weak, I am strong.