³¹ What, then, shall we say unto these things? if God [is] for us, who [is] against us?

³² He who indeed His own Son did not spare, but for us all did deliver him up, how shall He not also with him the all things grant to us?

³³ Who shall lay a charge against the choice ones of God? God [is] He that is declaring righteous,

³⁴ who [is] he that is condemning? Christ [is] He that died, yea, rather also, was raised up; who is also on the right hand of God -- who also doth intercede for us.

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of the Christ? tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

³⁶ (according as it hath been written -- `For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long, we were reckoned as sheep of slaughter,')

³⁷ but in all these we more than conquer, through him who loved us;

³⁸ for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor messengers, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,

³⁹ nor things about to be, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, that [is] in Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹⁶ Again I say, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, even as a fool receive me, that I also a little may boast.

¹⁷ That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;

¹⁸ since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:

¹⁹ for gladly do ye bear with the fools -- being wise,

²⁰ for ye bear, if any one is bringing you under bondage, if any one doth devour, if any one doth take away, if any one doth exalt himself, if any one on the face doth smite you;

²¹ in reference to dishonour I speak, how that we were weak, and in whatever any one is bold -- in foolishness I say [it] -- I also am bold.

²² Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!

²³ ministrants of Christ are they? -- as beside myself I speak -- I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times;

²⁴ from Jews five times forty [stripes] save one I did receive;

²⁵ thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep I have passed;

²⁶ journeyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brethren;

²⁷ in laboriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness;

²⁸ apart from the things without -- the crowding upon me that is daily -- the care of all the assemblies.

²⁹ Who is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;

³⁰ if to boast it behoveth [me], of the things of my infirmity I will boast;

³¹ the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ -- who is blessed to the ages -- hath known that I do not lie! --

³² In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,

³³ and through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.

12 To boast, really, is not profitable for me, for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

² I have known a man in Christ, fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I have not known, whether out of the body I have not known, God hath known -- such an one being caught away unto the third heaven;

³ and I have known such a man -- whether in the body, whether out of the body, I have not known, God hath known, --

⁴ that he was caught away to the paradise, and heard unutterable sayings, that it is not possible for man to speak.

⁵ Of such an one I will boast, and of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities,

⁶ for if I may wish to boast, I shall not be a fool, for truth I will say; but I forebear, lest any one in regard to me may think anything above what he doth see me, or doth hear anything of me;

⁷ and that by the exceeding greatness of the revelations I might not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of the Adversary, that he might buffet me, that I might not be exalted overmuch.

⁸ Concerning this thing thrice the Lord did I call upon, that it might depart from me,

⁹ and He said to me, `Sufficient for thee is My grace, for My power in infirmity is perfected;' most gladly, therefore, will I rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of the Christ may rest on me:

¹⁰ wherefore I am well pleased in infirmities, in damages, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses -- for Christ; for whenever I am infirm, then I am powerful;