18. Since many are boasting according to human standards, I too will boast.
19. For since you are so wise, you put up with fools gladly.
20. For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone strikes you in the face.
21. (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.
22. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23. Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times.
24. Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one.
25. Three times I was beaten with a rod. Once I received a stoning. Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea.
26. I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers,
27. in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing.