2 Corinthians 12:8-10

12:8 I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me. 12:9 But ¹  he said to me, “My grace is enough ²  for you, for my ³  power is made perfect ⁴  in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly ⁵  about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in ⁶  me. 12:10 Therefore I am content with ⁷  weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties ⁸  for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

[12:9]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” because of the contrast implicit in the context.

[12:9]  ² tn Or “is sufficient.”

[12:9]  ³ tc The majority of later mss (א² A^c D¹ Ψ 0243 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï) as well as some versional witnesses include the pronoun “my” here, but the omission of the pronoun has excellent external support (Ì^46vid א* A* B D* F G latt). Scribes probably added the pronoun for clarity, making the obvious referent explicit. This would also make “power” more parallel with “my grace.” Though the original text probably did not include “my,” scribes who added the word were following the sense of Paul’s statement.

[12:9]  ⁴ tn Or “my power comes to full strength.”

[12:9]  ⁵ tn “Most gladly,” a comparative form used with superlative meaning and translated as such.

[12:9]  ⁶ tn Or “may rest on.”

[12:10]  ⁷ tn Or “I take delight in.”

[12:10]  ⁸ tn Or “calamities.”