²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^(A) Not many of you were wise^(B) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose^(C) the foolish^(D) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^(E)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.^{(F) 30} It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(G) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(H) holiness^(I) and redemption.^{(J) 31} Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[a](K)

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast^(A) of the things that show my weakness.^{(B) 31} The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever,^(C) knows^(D) that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.^{(E) 33} But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.^(F)

Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting.^(G) Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations^(H) from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ^(I) who fourteen years ago was caught up^(J) to the third heaven.^(K) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.^{(L) 3} And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴ was caught up^(M) to paradise^(N) and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.^{(O) 6} Even if I should choose to boast,^(P) I would not be a fool,^(Q) 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, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^(R) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(S) a messenger of Satan,^(T) to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{(U) 9} But he said to me, “My grace^(V) is sufficient for you, for my power^(W) is made perfect in weakness.^(X)”^(Y) 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^(Z) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(AA) in persecutions,^(AB) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(AC)