2 Corinthians 12-13

New International Version

Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting.^(A) Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations^(B) from the Lord. ²I know a man in Christ^(C) who fourteen years ago was caught up^(D) to the third heaven.^(E) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.^(F) ³And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴was caught up^(G) to paradise^(H) and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.^(I) ⁶Even if I should choose to boast,^(J) I would not be a fool,^(K) 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, ⁷or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^(L) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(M) a messenger of Satan,^(N) to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^(O) ⁹But he said to me, “My grace^(P) is sufficient for you, for my power^(Q) is made perfect in weakness.^(R)”^(S) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight^(T) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(U) in persecutions,^(V) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(W)

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

¹¹I have made a fool of myself,^(X) but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”^[a]^(Y) even though I am nothing.^(Z) ¹²I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.^(AA) ¹³How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?^(AB) Forgive me this wrong!^(AC)

¹⁴Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,^(AD) 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,^(AE) but parents for their children.^(AF) ¹⁵So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.^(AG) If I love you more,^(AH) will you love me less? ¹⁶Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.^(AI) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸I urged^(AJ) Titus^(AK) to go to you and I sent our brother^(AL) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

¹⁹Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God^(AM) as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends,^(AN) is for your strengthening.^(AO) ²⁰For I am afraid that when I come^(AP) I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.^(AQ) I fear that there may be discord,^(AR) jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,^(AS) slander,^(AT) gossip,^(AU) arrogance^(AV) and disorder.^(AW) ²¹I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved^(AX) over many who have sinned earlier^(AY) and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery^(AZ) in which they have indulged.

Final Warnings

13 This will be my third visit to you.^(BA) “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”^[b]^(BB) ²I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent:^(BC) On my return I will not spare^(BD) those who sinned earlier^(BE) or any of the others, ³since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me.^(BF) He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. ⁴For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness,^(BG) yet he lives by God’s power.^(BH) Likewise, we are weak^(BI) in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him^(BJ) in our dealing with you.

⁵Examine yourselves^(BK) to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.^(BL) Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you^(BM)—unless, of course, you fail the test? ⁶And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. ⁷Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. ⁸For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹We are glad whenever we are weak^(BN) but you are strong;^(BO) and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.^(BP) ¹⁰This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh^(BQ) in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.^(BR)

Final Greetings

¹¹Finally, brothers and sisters,^(BS) rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.^(BT) And the God of love^(BU) and peace^(BV) will be with you.

¹²Greet one another with a holy kiss.^(BW) ¹³All God’s people here send their greetings.^(BX)

¹⁴May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,^(BY) and the love of God,^(BZ) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit^(CA) be with you all.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 12:11 Or the most eminent apostles
2 Corinthians 13:1 Deut. 19:15

Psalm 68

New International Version

Psalm 68^[a]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

¹May God arise,^(A) may his enemies be scattered;^(B)
    may his foes flee^(C) before him.
²May you blow them away like smoke—^(D)
    as wax melts^(E) before the fire,
    may the wicked perish^(F) before God.
³But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice^(G) before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

⁴Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,^(H)
    extol him who rides on the clouds^[b]^(I);
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.^(J)
⁵A father to the fatherless,^(K) a defender of widows,^(L)
    is God in his holy dwelling.^(M)
⁶God sets the lonely^(N) in families,^[c]^(O)
    he leads out the prisoners^(P) with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.^(Q)

⁷When you, God, went out^(R) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,^[d]^(S)
⁸the earth shook,^(T) the heavens poured down rain,^(U)
    before God, the One of Sinai,^(V)
    before God, the God of Israel.^(W)
⁹You gave abundant showers,^(X) O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
¹⁰Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty,^(Y) God, you provided^(Z) for the poor.

¹¹The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:^(AA)
¹²“Kings and armies flee^(AB) in haste;
    the women at home divide the plunder.^(AC)
¹³Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,^[e]^(AD)
    the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
    its feathers with shining gold.”
¹⁴When the Almighty^[f] scattered^(AE) the kings in the land,
    it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.^(AF)

¹⁵Mount Bashan,^(AG) majestic mountain,^(AH)
    Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
¹⁶why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
    at the mountain where God chooses^(AI) to reign,
    where the Lord himself will dwell forever?^(AJ)
¹⁷The chariots^(AK) of God are tens of thousands
    and thousands of thousands;^(AL)
    the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.^[g]
¹⁸When you ascended^(AM) on high,^(AN)
    you took many captives;^(AO)
    you received gifts from people,^(AP)
even from^[h] the rebellious^(AQ)—
    that you,^[i] Lord God, might dwell there.

¹⁹Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,^(AR)
    who daily bears our burdens.^(AS)
²⁰Our God is a God who saves;^(AT)
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.^(AU)
²¹Surely God will crush the heads^(AV) of his enemies,
    the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
²²The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,^(AW)
²³that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,^(AX)
    while the tongues of your dogs^(AY) have their share.”

²⁴Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.^(AZ)
²⁵In front are the singers,^(BA) after them the musicians;^(BB)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.^(BC)
²⁶Praise God in the great congregation;^(BD)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.^(BE)
²⁷There is the little tribe^(BF) of Benjamin,^(BG) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.^(BH)

²⁸Summon your power,^(BI) God^[j];
    show us your strength,^(BJ) our God, as you have done^(BK) before.
²⁹Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.^(BL)
³⁰Rebuke the beast^(BM) among the reeds,^(BN)
    the herd of bulls^(BO) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations^(BP) who delight in war.^(BQ)
³¹Envoys will come from Egypt;^(BR)
    Cush^[k]^(BS) will submit herself to God.

³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,^(BT)
    sing praise^(BU) to the Lord,
³³to him who rides^(BV) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders^(BW) with mighty voice.^(BX)
³⁴Proclaim the power^(BY) of God,
    whose majesty^(BZ) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
³⁵You, God, are awesome^(CA) in your sanctuary;^(CB)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength^(CC) to his people.^(CD)

Praise be to God!^(CE)

Footnotes

Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.
Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai
Psalm 68:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness
Psalm 68:18 Or gifts for people, / even
Psalm 68:18 Or they
Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region