1 T rue, there is nothing to be gained by it, but to boast, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

أجِدُ أنِّي مُضطَرٌّ لِمُواصَلَةِ الِافتِخارِ رُغمَ أنَّهُ بِلا فائِدَةٍ! لَكِنِّي سَآتِي الآنَ عَلَى ذِكْرِ الرُّؤَى وَالإعلاناتِ الَّتِي مِنَ الرَّبِّ:

2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—was caught up to the third heaven.

أعرِفُ إنساناً فِي المَسِيحِ، أُصْعِدَ قَبلَ أربَعَةَ عَشَرَ سَنَةً إلَى السَّماءِ الثّالِثَةِ. أَأُصْعِدَ فِي جَسَدِهِ أمْ خارِجَ جَسَدِهِ؟ لا أعلَمُ! اللهُ وَحدَهُ يَعلَمُ.

3 A nd I know that this man—whether in the body or away from the body I do not know, God knows—

أنا أعرِفُ ذَلِكَ الشَّخصَ، لَكِنْ لا أعرِفُ إنْ كانَ فِي جَسَدِهِ أمْ خارِجَ جَسَدِهِ، اللهُ وَحدَهُ يَعلَمُ.

4 W as caught up into paradise, and he heard utterances beyond the power of man to put into words, which man is not permitted to utter.

لَكِنَّهُ أُصْعِدَ إلَى الفِردَوسِ، وَسَمِعَ كَلِماتٍ لا يُمْكِنُ التَّعبيرُ عَنها، وَلا يُسمَحُ لإنسانٍ بِأنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِها.

5 O f this same I will boast, but of myself (personally) I will not boast, except as regards my infirmities (my weaknesses).

سَأفتَخِرُ بِمِثلِ هَذا الإنسانِ، لَكِنِّي لَنْ أفتَخِرَ بِذاتِي إلّا بِنِقاطِ ضَعفِي.

6 S hould I desire to boast, I shall not be a witless braggart, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I abstain so that no one may form a higher estimate of me than what he sees in me or hears from me.

لَكِنْ حَتَّى لَوْ أرَدتُ أنْ أفتَخِرَ، فَلَنْ أبدُوَ كَالأحْمَقِ، لِأنَّنِي سَأقُولُ الحَقِيقَةَ. لَكِنِّي أُحاوِلُ أنْ أُجَنِّبَكُمْ سَماعَ المَزِيدِ مِنَ الِافتِخارِ، لِئَلّا يَظُنَّ فِيَّ أحَدٌ أكثَرَ مِمّا يَراهُ وَيَسمَعُهُ مِنِّي.

7 A nd to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (preeminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn ( a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted.

وَلِئَلّا أعتَزَّ بِنَفسِي كَثِيراً بِسَبَبِ الإعلاناتِ العَظيمَةِ الَّتِي كَشَفَها الرَّبُّ لِي، أُعطِيتُ مُشكِلَةً مُؤلِمَةً فِي جَسَدِي، فَهيَ رَسُولٌ مِنَ الشَّيطانِ لِيَضرِبَنِي، لِئَلّا أعتَزَّ بِنَفسِي كَثِيراً.

8 T hree times I called upon the Lord and besought about this and begged that it might depart from me;

وَقَدْ رَجَوتُ الرَّبَّ حَولَ هَذِهِ المُشكِلَةِ ثَلاثَ مَرّاتٍ لِيُخَلِّصَنِي مِنها.

9 B ut He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!

لَكِنَّهُ قالَ لِي: «تَكفِيكَ نِعمَتِي، فَكَمالُ قُوَّتِي يَظهَرُ فِي الضَّعفِ!» لِهَذا فَإنِّي أفتَخِرُ بِسُرُورٍ كَبِيرٍ بِنِقاطِ ضَعفِي، لِكَي تَسكُنَ فِيَّ قُوَّةُ المَسِيحِ.

10 S o for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak '> in human strength], then am I strong (able, powerful in divine strength).

لِذَلِكَ أفتَخِرُ بِضَعَفاتِي، وَفِي الإهاناتِ، وَفِي المَشَقّاتِ، وَفِي الِاضطِهاداتِ، وَفِي الصُّعُوباتِ مِنْ أجلِ المَسِيحِ. فَعِندَما أكُونُ ضَعِيفاً، حِينَئِذٍ أكُونُ قَوِيّاً حَقّاً! مَحَبَّةُ بُولُسَ لِلمُؤمِنِينَ فِي كُورُنثُوس

11 N ow I have been a fool! But you forced me to it, for I ought to have been '> saved the necessity and] commended by you. For I have not fallen short one bit or proved myself at all inferior to those superlative apostles, even if I am nothing (a nobody).

تَكَلَّمْتُ كَأحمَقَ. لَكِنَّكُمْ أجبَرتُمُونِي عَلَى ذَلِكَ. فَأتَوَقَّعُ أنْ تَمدَحُونِي لِأنِّي لَستُ أقَلَّ شَأْناً فِي شَيءٍ مِنْ أُولَئِكَ «الرُّسُلِ العِظامِ،» مَعَ أنِّي لَستُ شَيئاً.

12 I ndeed, the signs that indicate a apostle were performed among you fully and most patiently in miracles and wonders and mighty works.

فَأنا عَلَى الأقَلِّ أرَيتُكُمْ بِصَبرٍ عَظِيمٍ عَلاماتٍ تُؤكِّدُ أنَّني رَسولٌ، مُؤَيِّداً بِبَراهِينَ المُعجِزاتِ وَالعَجائِبِ.

13 F or in what respect were you put to a disadvantage in comparison with the rest of the churches, unless that I myself did not burden you ? Pardon me this injustice!

فَمِنْ أيَّةِ ناحِيَةٍ إذاً أنتُمْ أقَلُّ مِنَ الكَنائِسِ الأُخرَى، إلّا فِي أنَّنِي لَمْ أكُنْ أنا نَفسِي عِبئاً عَلَيكُمْ؟ فَسامِحُونِي عَلَى هَذِهِ «الإساءَةِ!»

14 N ow for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not burden you, for it is not your that I want but you; for children are not duty bound to lay up store for their parents, but parents for their children.

وَها أنا مُستَعِدٌّ لِزِيارَتِكُمْ لِلمَرَّةِ الثّالِثَةِ. وَلَنْ أكُونَ عِبئاً عَلَيكُمْ فِي هَذِهِ المَرَّةِ أيضاً. فَأنا لَستُ مُهتَمّاً بِمُقتَنَياتِكُمْ، بَلْ بِكُمْ أنتُمْ. فَلَيْسَ الأبناءُ هُمُ المَسؤولينَ عَنِ تَوفيرِ المَعيشَةِ لِوالِدِيهِمْ، بَلِ الوالِدُونَ لأبنائِهِمْ.

15 B ut I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls. If I love you exceedingly, am I to be loved the less?

أمّا مِنْ جِهَتِي، فَإنِّي مُستَعِدٌّ بِكُلِّ سُرُورٍ أنْ أُنفِقَ مالِي وَنَفسِي مِنْ أجلِكُمْ. فَهَلْ تَقِلُّ مَحَبَّتُكُمْ لِي بَينَما تَزِيدُ مَحَبَّتِي لَكُمْ؟

16 B ut though granting that I did not burden you I was crafty I cheated and got the better of you with my trickery.

فَلْيَكُنْ ذَلِكَ! أنا لَمْ أُثقِلْ عَلَيكُمْ. لَكِنْ رُبَّما لِأنَّنِي «مُحتالٌ،» اصطَدتُكُمْ بِمَكرِي!

17 D id I take advantage of you or make any money out of you through any of those whom I sent to you?

ألَعَلِّي قُمتُ باستِغلالِكُمْ مِنْ خِلالِ أيٍّ مِنَ الرِّجالِ الَّذِينَ أرسَلتُهُمْ إلَيكُمْ؟

18 I urged Titus, and I sent the brother with. Did Titus overreach or take advantage of you ? Did he and I not act in the same spirit? Did we not same steps?

لَقَدْ طَلَبتُ مِنْ تِيطُسَ أنْ يَزُورَكُمْ، وَأرسَلتُ أخانا مَعَهُ. أفَلَعَلَّ تِيطُسَ استَغَلَّكُمْ؟ ألَمْ نَتَصَرَّفْ بَينَكُمْ بِنَفسِ الرُّوحِ؟ ألَمْ نَسلُكْ سُلُوكاً واحِداً؟

19 H ave you been supposing that we have been defending ourselves and apologizing to you? in the sight and the presence of God in Christ (the Messiah) that we have been speaking, dearly beloved, and all in order to build you up.

أتَظُنُّونَ أنَّنا نُدافِعُ عَنْ أنفُسِنا أمامَكُمْ طَوالَ هَذا الوَقتِ؟ لا! بَلْ نَحنُ نَتَكَلَّمُ أمامَ اللهِ لِأنَّنا فِي المَسِيحِ. وَكُلُّ ما نَفعَلُهُ، أيُّها الإخوَةُ الأحِبّاءُ، إنَّما نَفعَلُهُ لِأجلِ بُنيانِكُمْ.

20 F or I am fearful that somehow or other I may come and find you not as I desire to find you, and that you may find me too not as you want to find me—that perhaps there may be factions (quarreling), jealousy, temper (wrath, intrigues, rivalry, divided loyalties), selfishness, whispering, gossip, arrogance (self-assertion), and disorder among you.

فَأنا أخشَى حِيْنَ آتِي، أنْ أجِدَكُمْ عَلَى غَيرِ ما أحِبُّ، وَأخشَى أنْ تَجِدُونِي عَلَى غَيرِ ما تُحِبُّونَ. إذْ أخشَى أنْ أجِدَ بَينَكُمُ الخِصامَ وَالحَسَدَ وَالغَضَبَ وَالمُنافَساتِ الشَّخصِيَّةَ وَالشَّتائِمَ وَالنَّمِيمَةَ وَالِانتِفاخَ وَالفَوضَى.

21 t hat when I come again, my God may humiliate and humble me in your regard, and that I may have to sorrow over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, sexual vice, and sensuality which they formerly practiced.

أخشَى حِينَ آتِي لِزِيارَتِكُمْ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى، أنْ يُذِلَّنِي إلَهِي أمامَكُمْ، فَأبكِي عَلَى كَثِيرِينَ مِنْ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ أخطَأُوا فِي الماضِي، وَلَمْ يَتُوبُوا عَنِ القَذارَةِ وَالزِّنا وَالأعمالِ المُخزِيَةِ الَّتِي ارتَكَبُوها.