always carrying about in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

For if I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting before Titus has proved true.

Now, brethren, we want you to know about the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,

We intend that no one should blame us about this liberal gift which we are administering,

Therefore openly before the churches, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.

Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the offering for the saints,

for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

But I am sending the brethren so that our boasting about you may not prove vain in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be;

lest if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, wenot to say anything about you would be ashamed of having been so confident.

For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I shall not be put to shame.

To my shame, I must say that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast aboutI am speaking as a foolI also dare to boast about.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should depart from me.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.