1I would that you might bear with me in a little tipshus (foolery). Do bear with me!

2For I have kinah for you, a kinat Hashem, for, as a shadkhan (marriage broker), I betrothed you to one ish (husband) to present you as a chaste betulah to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach; ¹⁶³

3But I fear lest somehow as the Nachash deceived Chavah by his cunning, ¹⁶⁴your machshavot should be led astray from a simple and pure deveykus to Moshiach.

4For if a darshan shows up and preaches another Moshiach, another “Yehoshua” (Yeshua) other than the one in our drashot, or if you receive a different “Ruach Hakodesh” from the One you received or a different Besuras HaGeulah from the one regarding which you were mekabel, you put up with [that] well enough. ¹⁶⁵

5For I consider to have come behind the most groise (eminent) Shlichim in absolutely nothing. ¹⁶⁶

6But if indeed I am unskilled in lashon ¹⁶⁷yet I am not in da'as (knowledge), ¹⁶⁸but in all ways and all things I have made this abundantly clear to you.

7Or — anshuldiks! (pardon!) — did I commit averos by humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed Hashemʼs Besuras HaGeulah to you free of charge? ¹⁶⁹

8I robbed other of Moshiachʼs Kehillot, did I, in taking wages from them for the avodas kodesh work I did for you? ¹⁷⁰

9And when I was present with you and I had lack, I did not burden anyone, ¹⁷¹for my lack was made up by the Achim b'Moshiach who came from Macedonia. So I was shomer not to make myself a burden to you and in that I will remain shomer.

10As HaEmes of Moshiach is in me, that particular boasting of mine will not be silenced ¹⁷²in the regions of Achaia!

11Why? Because I do not have ahavah for you? Hashem knows that I do!

12But what I do I will also continue to do in order to deny an opening to those who are looking for an opening by their ravrevan (braggart) boasting to be recognized as equals with us.

13For such ones are shlichei sheker, deceitful po'alim, ¹⁷³transforming themselves in a masquerade as shlichim of Moshiach.

14And no wonder! For even HaSatan transforms himself into a malach ohr (an angel of light);

15It is no big “megillah,” therefore, if also Hasatanʼs ministers transform themselves as ministers of Tzedek. Their end will be according to their ma'asim.

16Listen here, let no one think me a tipesh (idiot). But if you do think me a yold (fool), then receive me as a yold that I, too, may boast ki hu zeh (a small amount). ¹⁷⁴

17What I speak in this bitachon of boasting, I speak not according to Moshiach Adoneinu, but as a yold.

18Als (since) many boast according to the basar, I also will boast.

19For magnanimously you put up with fools, being such talmidei chachamim yourselves!

20For you put up with it quite well, if anyone trades you into slavery, if anyone turns you into their supper, if anyone lifts your wallet, if anyone exalts himself into your gontser macher, if anyone gives you a klop in the ponem.

21To my bushah, I say that we were too weak for that! But, nevertheless, in whatever way anyone may have chutzpah in foolishness, I also will speak with chutzpah.

22Are they Ivrim? So am I. Are they Yisroelim? So am I. Are they Zera Avraham? So am I. ¹⁷⁵

23Are they mesharetei HaMoshiach? — I am talking like someone who is meshuggah — ¹⁷⁶I can outdo them: in labors more abundantly, in imprisonments more frequently, in beatings more by far, and often near death.

24By Yehudim chamash pe'amim I had the arba'im lashes minus one! ¹⁷⁷

25Shloshah pe'amim I was beaten with rods, ¹⁷⁸pa'am achat I was stoned, ¹⁷⁹shloshah pe'amim I was shipwrecked, spending a lailah and a yom in the open sea;

26In journeys often, in sakanot mavet (mortal danger) from rivers, in sakanot mavet from robbers, in sakanot mavet from my own people, ¹⁸⁰in sakanot mavet from Goyim, ¹⁸¹in sakanot mavet in the shtetl, in sakanot mavet in the country, in sakanot mavet in the sea, in sakanot mavet among achei sheker (false brothers);

27In labor and toil, in watchings, often in famine and thirst, in tzomot often, in cold and nakedness; ¹⁸²

28Beside the things from without, there is the pressure on me yom yom, the care of all of Moshiachʼs Kehillot.

29Who is weak and I am not weak? ¹⁸³Who is caused to fall into chet (sin), and I do not burn?

30If it is necessary for me to boast, then I will boast of my weaknesses. ¹⁸⁴

31Hashem, Elohim HaAv of HaMoshiach Yehoshua knows [Hamevorach l'olmei olamim!] that I am not speaking sheker. ¹⁸⁵

32In Damascus the Ethnarch under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus to arrest me,

33And I was let down through the wall through a window in a basket, and escaped his hands. ¹⁸⁶