I’m ashamed to have to say that I was too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to brag about, I also dare to brag about. I’m speaking like a fool!

我说这话是羞辱自己，好像我们从前是软弱的。然而，人在何事上勇敢，（我说句愚妄话，）我也勇敢。

说来惭愧，在这方面好像我们是太软弱了。然而，我说句蠢话，人在什么事上敢夸口，我也敢夸口。

说来惭愧，在这方面好像我们是太软弱了。然而，我说句蠢话，人在什么事上敢夸口，我也敢夸口。

惭愧得很，我必须说，我们太软弱了，做不出那样的事！然而，别人敢夸口的，让我再讲一句傻话，我也敢。

说来惭愧，我们太软弱了。说句愚昧的话，如果有人在什么事上是勇敢的，我也是勇敢的。

说来惭愧，我们倒好像是软弱的。但如果有人在什么事上大胆——我说句愚妄的话——我也大胆！

我說這話是羞辱自己，好像我們從前是軟弱的。然而，人在何事上勇敢，（我說句愚妄話，）我也勇敢。

說來慚愧，在這方面好像我們是太軟弱了。然而，我說句蠢話，人在甚麼事上敢誇口，我也敢誇口。

說來慚愧，在這方面好像我們是太軟弱了。然而，我說句蠢話，人在甚麼事上敢誇口，我也敢誇口。

慚愧得很，我必須說，我們太軟弱了，做不出那樣的事！然而，別人敢誇口的，讓我再講一句傻話，我也敢。

說來慚愧，我們太軟弱了。說句愚昧的話，如果有人在甚麼事上是勇敢的，我也是勇敢的。

說句不體面的話吧，這樣的事，我們就太軟弱作不來了！其實呢、憑愚氣說吧，誰在甚麼事上大膽，我也大膽！

說來慚愧，我們倒好像是軟弱的。但如果有人在什麼事上大膽——我說句愚妄的話——我也大膽！

此我卑己而言、如嘗懦弱、但人所毅然、我亦毅然、斯言有若愚也、

余言若狂、有辱我者、謂我庸劣、如彼儼然、余亦儼然、

且我辱己而言、似我為懦弱者、然彼有所敢誇、我亦敢誇、我此言似狂矣、

吾之狂妄、尚不及此也。惟若有人對予信口雌黃、以予為愚昧、則恕我狂妄、吾亦儼然不敢多讓。

To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about— I am speaking as a fool— I also dare to boast about.

To my shame, I must say, we 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.

I’m ashamed to say that we’ve been too“ weak” to do that! But whatever they dare to boast about— I’m talking like a fool again— I dare to boast about it, too.

I say this to our shame: We have been too weak for that! But in whatever anyone dares to boast— I am talking foolishly— I also dare:

To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold— I am speaking in foolishness— I too am bold.

To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold— I speak foolishly— I am bold also.

I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold( I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

I say this to our shame: We have been weak. But in whatever anyone dares to boast— I am talking foolishly— I also dare:

I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold,( I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

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

I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold( I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

Some say,“ His letters sound important. They are powerful. But in person he doesn’t seem like much. And what he says doesn’t amount to anything.”

When I brag about myself like this, I’m not talking the way the Lord would. I’m talking like a fool.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Do they belong to the people of Israel? So do I. Are they Abraham’s children? So am I.Are they serving Christ? I am serving him even more. I’m out of my mind to talk like this! I have worked much harder. I have been in prison more often. I have suffered terrible beatings. Again and again I almost died.Five times the Jews gave me 39 strokes with a whip.Three times I was beaten with sticks. Once they tried to kill me by throwing stones at me. Three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.I have had to keep on the move. I have been in danger from rivers. I have been in danger from robbers. I have been in danger from my fellow Jews and in danger from Gentiles. I have been in danger in the city, in the country, and at sea. I have been in danger from people who pretended they were believers.I have worked very hard. Often I have gone without sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. Often I have gone without food. I have been cold and naked.

Christ is humble and free of pride. Because of this, I make my appeal to you. I, Paul, am the one you call“ shy” when I am face to face with you. But when I am away from you, you think I am“ bold” toward you.I am coming to see you. Please don’t make me be as bold as I expect to be toward some people. They think that I live the way the people of this world live.

That’s why I write these things before I come to you. Then when I do come, I won’t have to be hard on you when I use my authority. The Lord gave me the authority to build you up. He didn’t give it to me to tear you down.

But we have been truly circumcised. We serve God by the power of his Spirit. We boast about what Christ Jesus has done. We don’t put our trust in who we are or what we can do.I have many reasons to trust in who I am and what I have done. Someone else may think they have reasons to trust in these things. But I have even more.I was circumcised on the eighth day. I am part of the people of Israel. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. I am a pure Hebrew. As far as the law is concerned, I am a Pharisee.As far as being committed is concerned, I opposed and attacked the church. As far as keeping the law is concerned, I kept it perfectly.