16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would¹ but as a fool. 18 Since many boast according to the ^kflesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with ^lfools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone ^mmakes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, ⁿwe were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they ^oHebrews? ^pSo am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ^qservants of Christ? ^rI am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with ^sfar greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews ^tthe forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was ^ubeaten with rods. Once I was ^vstoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^wdanger from my own people, ^xdanger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food,² in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my ^yweakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that ^zI am not lying. 32 ^aAt Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.