⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:^(A) “Do not be afraid;^(B) keep on speaking, do not be silent.

¹⁰ For I am with you,^(A) and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

¹⁷ “When I returned to Jerusalem^(A) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance^{(B) 18} and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹ “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison^(C) and beat^(D) those who believe in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of your martyr^[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’^(E)

²¹ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”^(F)

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!^(A) As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”^(B)

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. ² I 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) 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^(G) to paradise^(H) 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.^{(I) 6} Even 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, ⁷ or 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. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{(O) 9} But 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. ¹⁰ That 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)