What I am saying with this boastful confidence ¹  I do not say the way the Lord would. ²  Instead it is, as it were, foolishness.

and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” ¹  says the All-Powerful Lord. ² 

because some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak ¹  and his speech is of no account.” ² 

Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, ¹  and I will welcome ²  you, ³ 

Let such a person consider this: What we say ¹  by letters when we are absent, we also are in actions when we are present.

I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others. ¹ 

I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before ¹  that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you. ² 

For I do not say this so there would be relief for others and suffering for you, but as a matter of equality.

For he says, “I heard you at the acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” ¹  Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!

(To my disgrace ¹  I must say that we were too weak for that!) ²  But whatever anyone else dares to boast about ³  (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing. ⁴ 

I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. ¹  But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

I said before when I was present the second time and now, though absent, I say again to those who sinned previously and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone, ¹ 

Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I? ¹  Or do I make my plans ²  according to mere human standards ³  so that I would be saying ⁴  both “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?

For if any of the Macedonians should come with me and find that you are not ready to give, we would be humiliated ¹  (not to mention you) by this confidence we had in you. ² 

My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously ¹  will also reap generously.

But be that as it may, I have not burdened you. Yet because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit!

Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away ¹  from the body and at home with the Lord.

But if anyone has caused sadness, he has not saddened me alone, but to some extent (not to exaggerate) ¹  he has saddened all of you as well.

because I know your eagerness to help. ¹  I keep boasting to the Macedonians about this eagerness of yours, ²  that Achaia has been ready to give ³  since last year, and your zeal to participate ⁴  has stirred up most of them. ⁵ 

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! ¹