Paul Tells About His Sufferings

¹⁶ I tell you again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you think I am a fool, then accept me as you would accept a fool. Then I can boast a little too. ¹⁷ But I am not talking the way the Lord would talk. I am boasting like a fool. ¹⁸ Others are boasting about their lives in the world. So I will boast too. ¹⁹ You are wise, so you will gladly be patient with fools! ²⁰ I say this because you are even patient with someone who forces you to do things and uses you. You are patient with those who trick you, or think they are better than you, or hit you in the face! ²¹ I am ashamed to say it, but we were too “weak” to do such things to you.

But if anyone dares to boast, I will too. (I am talking like a fool.) ²² Are those people Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites^[a]? So am I. Are they from Abraham’s family? So am I. ²³ Are they serving Christ? I am serving him more. (I am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much harder than they have. I have been in prison more often. I have been hurt more in beatings. I have been near death many times.

²⁴ Five times the Jews have given me their punishment of 39 lashes with a whip. ²⁵ Three different times I was beaten with rods. One time I was almost killed with rocks. Three times I was in ships that were wrecked, and one of those times I spent the night and the next day in the sea. ²⁶ In my constant traveling I have been in danger from rivers, from thieves, from my own people, and from people who are not Jews. I have been in danger in cities, in places where no one lives, and on the sea. And I have been in danger from people who pretend to be believers but are not.

²⁷ I have done hard and tiring work, and many times I did not sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. Many times I have been without food. I have been cold and without clothes. ²⁸ And there are many other problems. One of these is the care I have for all the churches. I worry about each group of believers every day. ²⁹ I feel weak every time another person is weak. I feel deeply upset every time another person is led into sin.

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show I am weak. ³¹ God knows that I am not lying. He is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus, and he is to be praised forever. ³² When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas wanted to arrest me, so he put guards around the city. ³³ But some friends put me in a basket. Then they put the basket through a hole in the wall and lowered me down. So I escaped from the governor.