Si gloriari oportet (non expedit quidem), veniam autem ad visiones et revelationes Domini.

If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed): but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

If we are to boast (although boasting is out of place), I will go on to the visions and revelations the Lord has granted me.

Scio hominem in Christo ante annos quatuordecim, sive in corpore nescio, sive extra corpus nescio, Deus scit, raptum hujusmodi usque ad tertium cælum.

I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up to the third heaven.

There is a man I know who was carried out of himself in Christ, fourteen years since; was his spirit in his body? I cannot tell. Was it apart from his body? I cannot tell; God knows. This man, at least, was carried up into the third heaven.

Et scio hujusmodi hominem sive in corpore, sive extra corpus nescio, Deus scit:

And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth):

I can only tell you that this man, with his spirit in his body, or with his spirit apart from his body, God knows which, not I,

quoniam raptus est in paradisum: et audivit arcana verba, quæ non licet homini loqui.

That he was caught up into paradise, and heard secret words, which it is not granted to man to utter.

was carried up into Paradise, and heard mysteries which man is not allowed to utter.

Pro hujusmodi gloriabor: pro me autem nihil gloriabor nisi in infirmitatibus meis.

For such an one I will glory; but for myself I will glory nothing, but in my infirmities.

That is the man about whom I will boast; I will not boast about myself, except to tell you of my humiliations.

Nam etsi voluero gloriari, non ero insipiens: veritatem enim dicam: parco autem, ne quis me existimet supra id quod videt in me, aut aliquid audit ex me.

For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me.

It would not be vanity, if I had a mind to boast about such a man as that; I should only be telling the truth. But I will spare you the telling of it; I have no mind that anybody should think of me except as he sees me, as he hears me talking to him.

Et ne magnitudo revelationum extollat me, datus est mihi stimulus carnis meæ angelus Satanæ, qui me colaphizet.

And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me.

And indeed, for fear that these surpassing revelations should make me proud, I was given a sting to distress my outward nature, an angel of Satan sent to rebuff me.

Propter quod ter Dominum rogavi ut discederet a me:

For which thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it might depart from me.

Three times it made me entreat the Lord to rid me of it;

et dixit mihi: Sufficit tibi gratia mea: nam virtus in infirmitate perficitur. Libenter igitur gloriabor in infirmitatibus meis, ut inhabitet in me virtus Christi.

And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

but he told me, My grace is enough for thee; my strength finds its full scope in thy weakness. More than ever, then, I delight to boast of the weaknesses that humiliate me, so that the strength of Christ may enshrine itself in me.

Propter quod placeo mihi in infirmitatibus meis, in contumeliis, in necessitatibus, in persecutionibus, in angustiis pro Christo: cum enim infirmor, tunc potens sum.

For which cause I please myself in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ. For when I am weak, then am I powerful.

I am well content with these humiliations of mine, with the insults, the hardships, the persecutions, the times of difficulty I undergo for Christ; when I am weakest, then I am strongest of all.

Factus sum insipiens, vos me coëgistis. Ego enim a vobis debui commendari: nihil enim minus fui ab iis, qui sunt supra modum Apostoli: tametsi nihil sum:

I am become foolish: you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you: for I have no way come short of them that are above measure apostles, although I be nothing.

I have given way to vanity; it was you that drove me to it; you ought to have given me credentials, instead of asking for them. No, I have done no less than the very greatest of the apostles, worthless as I am;

signa tamen apostolatus mei facta sunt super vos in omni patientia, in signis, et prodigiis, et virtutibus.

Yet the signs of my apostleship have been wrought on you, in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

I have earned the character of apostleship among you, by all the trials I have undergone, by signs and wonders and deeds of miracle.

Quid est enim, quod minus habuistis præ ceteris ecclesiis, nisi quod ego ipse non gravavi vos? donate mihi hanc injuriam.

For what is there that you have had less than the other churches, but that I myself was not burthensome to you? Pardon me this injury.

What injustice did I do you, as compared with the other churches, except that to you, of my own choice, I refused to make myself a burden? Forgive me, if I wronged you there.

Ecce tertio hoc paratus sum venire ad vos: et non ero gravis vobis. Non enim quæro quæ vestra sunt, sed vos. Nec enim debent filii parentibus thesaurizare, sed parentes filiis.

Behold now the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burthensome unto you. For I seek not the things that are yours, but you. For neither ought the children to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

This is the third time I have made preparations for visiting you, and I do not intend to cripple you with expenses: what I claim is yourselves, not anything you can give; it is the parents that should save for their children, not the children for their parents.

Ego autem libentissime impendam, et super impendar ipse pro animabus vestris: licet plus vos diligens, minus diligar.

But I most gladly will spend and be spent myself for your souls; although loving you more, I be loved less.

For my own part, I will gladly spend and be spent on your souls’ behalf, though you should love me too little for loving you too well.

Sed esto: ego vos non gravavi: sed cum essem astutus, dolo vos cepi.

But be it so: I did not burthen you: but being crafty, I caught you by guile.

Ah, you say, that may be; I did not lay any charge on you myself, but I preyed upon you by roundabout means, like the knave I am.

Numquid per aliquem eorum, quod misi ad vos, circumveni vos?

Did I overreach you by any of them whom I sent to you?

What, those envoys I sent you, did I take advantage of you through any of them?

Rogavi Titum, et misi cum illo fratrem. Numquid Titus vos circumvenit? nonne eodem spiritu ambulavimus? nonne iisdem vestigiis?

I desired Titus, and I sent with him a brother. Did Titus overreach you? Did we not walk with the same spirit? did we not in the same steps?

I asked Titus to visit you, and there was the brother I sent with him; did Titus take any advantage of you? Did we not all follow the same course, and in the same spirit?

Olim putatis quod excusemus nos apud vos? coram Deo in Christo loquimur: omnia autem, carissimi, propter ædificationem vestram.

Of old, think you that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ; but all things, my dearly beloved, for your edification.

You have been telling one another, all this while, that we are defending our conduct to you. Rather, we have been uttering our thoughts as in God’s presence, in Christ; yet always, beloved, so as to build up your faith.

Timeo enim ne forte cum venero, non quales volo, inveniam vos: et ego inveniar a vobis, qualem non vultis: ne forte contentiones, æmulationes, animositates, dissensiones, detractiones, susurrationes, inflationes, seditiones sint inter vos:

For I fear lest perhaps when I come I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found by you such as you would not. Lest perhaps contentions, envyings, animosities, dissensions, detractions, whisperings, swellings, seditions, be among you.

I have the fear that perhaps, when I reach you, I shall find in you unwelcome hosts, and you in me an unwelcome visitor; that there will be dissension, rivalry, ill humour, factiousness, backbiting, gossip, self-conceit, disharmony.

ne iterum cum venero, humiliet me Deus apud vos, et lugeam multos ex iis qui ante peccaverunt, et non egerunt pœnitentiam super immunditia, et fornicatione, et impudicitia, quam gesserunt.

Lest again, when I come, God humble me among you: and I mourn many of them that sinned before, and have not done penance for the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness, that they have committed.

I have the fear that on this new visit God has humiliation in store for me when we meet; that I shall have tears to shed over many of you, sinners of old and still unrepentant, with a tale of impure, adulterous, and wanton living.