2 Corinthians 12:1-10

New King James Version

The Vision of Paradise

12 It is ^[a]doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to ^(A)visions and ^(B)revelations of the Lord: ²I know a man ^(C)in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one ^(D)was caught up to the third heaven. ³And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴how he was caught up into ^(E)Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. ⁵Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not ^(F)boast, except in my infirmities. ⁶For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

The Thorn in the Flesh

⁷And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a ^(G)thorn in the flesh was given to me, ^(H)a messenger of Satan to ^[b]buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. ⁸^(I)Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly ^(J)I will rather boast in my infirmities, ^(K)that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰Therefore ^(L)I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. ^(M)For when I am weak, then I am strong.

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Footnotes

2 Corinthians 12:1 NU necessary, though not profitable, to boast
2 Corinthians 12:7 beat

Isaiah 21

New King James Version

The Fall of Babylon Proclaimed

21 The ^[a]burden against the Wilderness of the Sea.

As ^(A)whirlwinds in the South pass through,
So it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.
²A distressing vision is declared to me;
^(B)The treacherous dealer deals treacherously,
And the plunderer plunders.
^(C)Go up, O Elam!
Besiege, O Media!
All its sighing I have made to cease.

³Therefore ^(D)my loins are filled with pain;
^(E)Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor.
I was ^[b]distressed when I heard it;
I was dismayed when I saw it.
⁴My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me;
^(F)The night for which I longed He turned into fear for me.
⁵^(G)Prepare the table,
Set a watchman in the tower,
Eat and drink.
Arise, you princes,
Anoint the shield!

⁶For thus has the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman,
Let him declare what he sees.”
⁷And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen,
A chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels,
And he listened earnestly with great care.
⁸^[c]Then he cried, “A lion, my Lord!
I stand continually on the ^(H)watchtower in the daytime;
I have sat at my post every night.
⁹And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!”
Then he answered and said,
^(I)“Babylon is fallen, is fallen!
And ^(J)all the carved images of her gods
He has broken to the ground.”

¹⁰^(K)Oh, my threshing and the grain of my floor!
That which I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel,
I have declared to you.

Proclamation Against Edom

¹¹^(L)The ^[d]burden against Dumah.

He calls to me out of ^(M)Seir,
“Watchman, what of the night?
Watchman, what of the night?”
¹²The watchman said,
“The morning comes, and also the night.
If you will inquire, inquire;
Return! Come back!”

Proclamation Against Arabia

¹³^(N)The ^[e]burden against Arabia.

In the forest in Arabia you will lodge,
O you traveling companies ^(O)of Dedanites.
¹⁴O inhabitants of the land of Tema,
Bring water to him who is thirsty;
With their bread they met him who fled.
¹⁵For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword,
From the bent bow, and from the distress of war.

¹⁶For thus the Lord has said to me: “Within a year, ^(P)according to the year of a hired man, all the glory of ^(Q)Kedar will fail; ¹⁷and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken it.”