1 אָמְנָם נִצְרַכְתִּי לְהִתְהַלֵּל וְאַף כִּי לֹא יוֹעִיל לִי אָבוֹא לְמַרְאוֹת הָאָדוֹן וְחֶזְיֹנוֹתָיו | 1 If it is necessary (though certainly not expedient) to glory, then I will next tell of visions and revelations from the Lord. |
2 יָדַעְתִּי אִישׁ בַּמָּשִׁיחַ זֶה אַרְבַּע־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה אִם־הָיָה בַגּוּף לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אוֹ־מִחוּץ לַגּוּף לֹא יָדַעְתִּי הָאֱלֹהִים יוֹדֵעַ וְהָאִישׁ הַהוּא לֻקַּח עַד־לָרָקִיעַ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי | 2 I know a man in Christ, who, more than fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know: God knows), was enraptured to the third heaven. |
3 וְיָדַעְתִּי אֶת־הָאִישׁ הַהוּא אִם־בַּגּוּף אוֹ־מִחוּץ לַגּוּף לֹא יָדַעְתִּי הָאֱלֹהִים יוֹדֵעַ | 3 And I know a certain man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I do not know: God knows), |
4 אֲשֶׁר הֹעֲלָה אֶל־הַפַּרְדֵּס וַיִּשְׁמַע דְּבָרִים נִסְתָּרִים אֲשֶׁר נִמְנָע מֵאִישׁ לְמַלְלָם | 4 who was enraptured into Paradise. And he heard words of mystery, which it is not permitted for man to speak. |
5 עַל־אִישׁ כָּמוֹהוּ אֶתְהַלֵּל אַךְ עַל־עַצְמִי לֹא־אֶתְהַלֵּל זוּלָתִי בְּחֻלְשׁוֹתָי | 5 On behalf of someone like this, I will glory. But on behalf of myself, I will not glory about anything, except my infirmities. |
6 כִּי לוּ־חָפַצְתִּי לְהִתְהַלֵּל לֹא־אֶהְיֶה סָכָל כִּי־אֱמֶת אֲדַבֵּר אֲבָל אֶתְאַפַּק פֶּן־יַחְשְׁבֵנִי אִישׁ יוֹתֵר מִמַּה־שֶּׁיִּרְאֶה בִי אוֹ שֶׁיִּשְׁמַע מִמֶּנִּי | 6 For even though I am willing to glory, I will not be foolish. But I will speak the truth. Yet I will do so sparingly, lest anyone may consider me to be anything more than what he sees in me, or anything more than what he hears from me. |
7 וּלְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא אֶתְרוֹמֵם בְּרָב־גֹּדֶל הַחֶזְיֹנוֹת נִתַּן־לִי סִלּוֹן בִּבְשָׂרִי מַלְאַךְ הַשָּׂטָן לְהַכֹּתֵנִי בְּאֶגְרוֹף לְמַעַן לֹא אֶתְרוֹמָם | 7 And lest the greatness of the revelations should extol me, there was given to me a prodding in my flesh: an angel of Satan, who struck me repeatedly. |
8 עַל־זֹאת הִתְחַנַּנְתִּי שָׁלשׁ פְּעָמִים אֶל־הָאָדוֹן לַהֲסִירוֹ מִמֶּנִּי | 8 Because of this, three times I petitioned the Lord that it might be taken away from me. |
9 וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי דַּי־לְךָ חַסְדִּי כִּי בַחֻלְשָׁה תֻּשְׁלַם גְּבוּרָתִי עַל־כֵּן שָׂמַח לִבִּי לְהִתְהַלֵּל בְּחֻלְשׁוֹתַי לְמַעַן תִּשְׁרֶה עָלַי גְּבוּרַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ | 9 And he said to me: “My grace is sufficient for you. For virtue is perfected in weakness.” And so, willingly shall I glory in my weaknesses, so that the virtue of Christ may live within me. |
10 לָכֵן רָצְתָה נַפְשִׁי בְּחֻלְשׁוֹת וּבַחֲרָפוֹת וּבְצָרוֹת וּבִרְדִיפוֹת וּבִמְצוּקוֹת בְּעַד הַמָּשִׁיחַ כִּי־כַאֲשֶׁר חָלַשְׁתִּי אָז גִּבּוֹר אָנִי | 10 Because of this, I am pleased in my infirmity: in reproaches, in difficulties, in persecutions, in distresses, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am powerful. |
11 סָכָל הָיִיתִי בְּהִתְהַלְלִי אַתֶּם הִכְרַחְתֶּם אֹתִי תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה עֲלֵיכֶם לְהַזְכִּירֵנִי לָשֶׁבַח כִּי לֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי בִּמְאוּמָה מִן־הַשְּׁלִיחִים הַגְּדוֹלִים כָּל־כָּךְ אַף כִּי־כְאַיִן אָנֹכִי | 11 I have become foolish; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you. For I have been nothing less than those who claim to be above the measure of Apostles, even though I am nothing. |
12 הֵן־אֹתוֹת הַשָּׁלִיחַ נַעֲשֹוּ בְקִרְבְּכֶם בְּכָל־סַבְלָנוּת בְּאֹתוֹת וּבְמוֹפְתִים וּבִגְבוּרוֹת | 12 And the seal of my Apostleship has been set over you, with all patience, with signs and wonders and miracles. |
13 כִּי־בַמֶּה נִגְרַעְתֶּם מִן־הַקְּהִלּוֹת הָאֲחֵרוֹת אִם־לֹא הֶלְאֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם סִלְחוּ־נָא לִי אֶת־הָעַוְלָה הַזֹּאת | 13 For what is there that you have had which is less than the other churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this injury. |
14 הִנְנִי מוּכָן לָבוֹא אֲלֵיכֶם פַּעַם שְׁלִישִׁית וְלֹא אַלְאֶה אֶתְכֶם כִּי לֹא אֲבַקֵּשׁ אֵת אֲשֶׁר לָכֶם כִּי אִם־אֶתְכֶם כִּי הַבָּנִים אֵינָם חַיָּבִים לֶאֱצֹר אוֹצָרוֹת לָאָבוֹת כִּי אִם־הָאָבוֹת לַבָּנִים | 14 Behold, this is the third time I have prepared to come to you, and yet I will not be a burden to you. For I am seeking not the things that are yours, but you yourselves. And neither should the children store up for the parents, but the parents for the children. |
15 אֲבָל אֲנִי בְּכָל־חֵפֶץ לְבָבִי אֲפַזֵּר אֶת אֲשֶׁר לִי וְאַף אֶת נַפְשִׁי אֶתֵּן בְּעַד נַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם אַף אִם־תַּחַת אַהֲבָתִי לָכֶם הַיְתֵרָה אַתֶּם תַּמְעִיטוּ אֶת־אַהֲבַתְכֶם אֵלָי | 15 And so, very willingly, I will spend and exhaust myself for the sake of your souls, loving you more, while being loved less. |
16 אַךְ אִם־כֵּן הוּא וַאֲנִי לֹא הִכְבַּדְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם אוּלַי כְּאִישׁ עָרוּם בְּמִרְמָה לָכַדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם | 16 And so be it. I have not burdened you, but instead, being astute, I obtained you by guile. |
17 הַאַף הוֹנֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם בְּיַד־אֶחָד מֵאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַחְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם | 17 And yet, did I defraud you by means of any of those whom I sent to you? |
18 בִּקַּשְׁתִּי מִן־טִיטוֹס וְשָׁלַחְתִּי אִתּוֹ אֶת־הָאָח הֲכִי־הוֹנָה אֶתְכֶם טִיטוֹס הֲלֹא בְּרוּחַ אֶחָד הִתְהַלַּכְנוּ הֲלֹא בְּמַעְגָּל אֶחָד | 18 I asked for Titus, and I sent a brother with him. Did Titus defraud you? Did we not walk with the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps? |
19 הֲתַחְשְׁבוּ עוֹד כִּי מִתְנַצְּלִים אֲנַחְנוּ אֲלֵיכֶם לֹא כִּי־לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים נְדַבֵּר בַּמָּשִׁיחַ וְכָל־זֹאת חֲבִיבַי לְמַעַן תִּבָּנוּ | 19 Have you ever thought that we should explain ourselves to you? We speak in the sight of God, in Christ. But all things, most beloved, are for your edification. |
20 כִּי יָרֵא אָנֹכִי פֶּן־בְּבֹאִי לֹא־אֶמְצָא אֶתְכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר חָפַצְתִּי וְאַתֶּם גַּם־אַתֶּם לֹא־תִמְצְאוּ אֹתִי כַּאֲשֶׁר חֲפַצְתֶּם פֶּן־יִהְיֶה בָכֶם מַצָּה וְקִנְאָה וָרֹגֶז וּמְרִיבוֹת וְדִבָּה רָעָה וּרְכִילוּת וְגֵאוּת וּמְבוּכָה | 20 Yet I fear, lest perhaps, when I have arrived, I might not find you such as I would want, and I might be found by you, such as you would not want. For perhaps there may be among you: contention, envy, animosity, dissension, detraction, whispering, self-exaltation, and rebellion. |
21 פֶּן־אָשׁוּב לָבוֹא וְיַשְׁפִּילֵנִי אֱלֹהַי אֶצְלְכֶם וְאֶתְאַבֵּל עַל־רַבִּים אֲשֶׁר־חָטְאוּ כְבָר וְלֹא שָׁבוּ מִן־הַטֻּמְאָה וּמִן־הַזְּנוּת וּמִן־הַזִּמָּה אֲשֶׁר עָשֹוּ | 21 If so, then, when I have arrived, God may again humble me among you. And so, I mourn for the many who sinned beforehand, and did not repent, over the lust and fornication and homosexuality, which they have committed. |