12 It’s not appropriate or beneficial to be boasting, so I’ll come to the visions and revelations from the master.[fn] 2 Fourteen years ago I observed a man who was a believer in Messiah who was pulled up to the third heaven. (I didn’t know whether this physically happened or just in the spiritual realm.) 3 And I know that man (God only knows if it was in the physical or just the spiritual realm) 4 was pulled up into paradise and heard messages which can’t be put into words (because living people aren’t allow to speak them). 5 I’m prepared to boast about that man, but I won’t boast about myself because I won’t boast at all except about my weaknesses, 6 because even if I did want to boast, I wouldn’t be being foolish, because I would be speaking the truth. But I’ll refrain in case anyone reckons that I’m more than what they can see or hear about me.

7 So to keep my head from getting too big because of those incredible revelations, I was given a ‘thorn’ in my body—Satan’s messenger to harass me and keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I begged the master that it might leave me 9 and he told me, “Is my grace good enough for you? My power reaches its conclusion through weakness.” Therefore I’ll quite gladly boast about my weaknesses so that the messiah’s power can take residence in me. 10 So then I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults and hardships, in persecutions and distresses for Messiah because whenever I might be faltering, that’s when I’m powerful.