¹³ For in what respect were you treated as less than the rest of the churches, except that ^(A)I myself did not become a burden to you? ^[a]Forgive me ^(B)this wrong!

¹⁴ Here ^(C)for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I ^(D)will not be a burden to you; for I ^(E)do not seek what is yours, but ^(F)you. For ^(G)children ought not to save up for their parents, but ^(H)parents for their children. ¹⁵ So I will ^(I)most gladly spend and be fully spent for your souls. If ^(J)I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But be that as it may, I ^(K)did not burden you myself. Nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I ^(L)took you in by deceit. ^17 (M)Have I taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you? ¹⁸ I ^(N)encouraged ^(O)Titus to go, and I sent ^(P)the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Did we not walk ^[b]in the same ^(Q)spirit—^(R)in the very same steps?

¹⁹ All this time ^[c]you think we are defending ourselves to you. We speak in Christ ^(S)in the sight of God. ^(T)And all these things, ^(U)beloved, are for your building up. ²⁰ For I am afraid that perhaps ^(V)when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be ^(W)strife, jealousy, ^(X)outbursts of anger, ^(Y)selfish ambition, ^(Z)slanders, ^(AA)gossip, ^(AB)arrogance, ^(AC)disturbances. ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have ^(AD)sinned in the past and not repented of the ^(AE)impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality which they have practiced.

¹⁶ But be that as it may, I ^(A)did not burden you myself. Nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I ^(B)took you in by deceit.