²¹ When ^(A)His own ^[a]people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “^(B)He has lost His senses.”

Paul Defends His Apostleship

11 I wish that you would ^(A)bear with me in a little ^(B)foolishness; but ^[a]indeed you are bearing with me.

^16 (A)Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying, I am not saying ^[a](B)as the Lord would, but as ^(C)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸ Since ^(D)many boast ^(E)according to the flesh, I will boast also. ¹⁹ For you, ^(F)being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. ²⁰ For you tolerate it if anyone ^(G)enslaves you, anyone ^(H)devours you, anyone ^(I)takes advantage of you, anyone ^(J)exalts himself, anyone ^(K)hits you in the face. ²¹ To my ^(L)shame I must say that we have been ^(M)weak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else ^(N)is bold—I ^(O)speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself. ²² Are they ^(P)Hebrews? ^(Q)So am I. Are they ^(R)Israelites? ^(S)So am I. Are they ^[b](T)descendants of Abraham? ^(U)So am I. ²³ Are they ^(V)servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in ^[c](W)far more labors, in ^[d](X)far more imprisonments, ^[e](Y)beaten times without number, often in ^(Z)danger of death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews ^(AA)thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(AB)beaten with rods, once I was ^(AC)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my ^(AD)countrymen, dangers from the ^(AE)Gentiles, dangers in the ^(AF)city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among ^(AG)false brethren; ²⁷ I have been in ^(AH)labor and hardship, ^[f]through many sleepless nights, in ^(AI)hunger and thirst, often ^(AJ)without food, in cold and ^[g](AK)exposure. ²⁸ Apart from such ^[h]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ^(AL)all the churches. ²⁹ Who is ^(AM)weak without my being weak? Who is ^[i]led into sin ^[j]without my intense concern?

³⁰ If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my ^(AN)weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(AO)He who is blessed forever, ^(AP)knows that I am not lying. ³² In ^(AQ)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ^(AR)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, ³³ and I was let down in a basket ^(AS)through a window ^[k]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

¹¹ I have become ^(A)foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for ^(B)in no respect was I inferior to the ^[a]most eminent apostles, even though ^(C)I am a nobody.