¹³ How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?^(A) Forgive me this wrong!^(B)

¹⁴ Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,^(C) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,^(D) but parents for their children.^{(E) 15} So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.^(F) If I love you more,^(G) will you love me less? ¹⁶ Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.^(H) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷ Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged^(I) Titus^(J) to go to you and I sent our brother^(K) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God^(L) as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends,^(M) is for your strengthening.^(N)