OET interlinear 2COR 12:9

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-quotations

εἴρηκέν μοι

˱he˲_/has/_said ˱to˲_me

Here Paul repeats what the Lord said in response to his prayer that the thorn and its suffering be taken away. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that introduces the answer to a question or prayer. Alternate translation: “he has answered me”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

μοι, ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου, ἡ γὰρ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται

˱to˲_me /is/_sufficing ˱for˲_you the grace ˱of˲_me the for power in weakness /is_being/_finished

It may be more natural in your language to have an indirect quotation here. If you use the following alternate translation, you will need to remove the quotation marks. Alternate translation: “to me that his grace is enough for me, for his power is being made perfect in weakness”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου, ἡ γὰρ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται

/is/_sufficing ˱for˲_you the grace ˱of˲_me the for power in weakness /is_being/_finished

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of grace, power, and weakness, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: “How I act graciously is enough for you, for when people are weak, I perfect how powerfully I work through them”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

σοι

˱for˲_you

Because God is speaking to one person, Paul, the pronoun you in the quotation is singular.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἡ γὰρ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται

the the for power in weakness /is_being/_finished

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who does the action, it is clear from the context that it is the Lord. Alternate translation: “for I make my power perfect in weakness”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

μᾶλλον & ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου

rather & in the weaknesses ˱of˲_me

Here, the phrase even more could indicate that Paul will: (1) boast more in his weaknesses than he has already. Alternate translation: “more than I already have in my weaknesses” (2) boast in his weaknesses rather than praying for the removal of the thorn. Alternate translation: “in my weaknesses rather than asking God to remove them” (3) boast in his weaknesses rather than in his strengths. Alternate translation: “in my weaknesses rather than in my strengths”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου, ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ

in in the weaknesses ˱of˲_me in_order_that /may/_take_residence in me the power ˱of˲_the Messiah

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of weaknesses and power, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: “about how weak I am so that Christ will reside upon me to empower me” or “in how weak I am so that Christ will give his power to me”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ

the the the power ˱of˲_the Messiah

Here, Paul is using the possessive form to describe power that comes from Christ. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: “power from Christ”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ’ ἐμὲ

/may/_take_residence in me

Here Paul speaks as if the power of Christ were a person who could reside in or upon Paul, who is pictured like a tent or house. He means that the power of Christ consistently becomes part of his life and is something that he can always have. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a similar figure of speech or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “might live in me” or “might always be with me”