2 Corinthians 12
1 [It seems that] I must go on boasting [about myself]. Although [I do] not [think that my telling you about] this will help [you to accept me as Christ’s representative to you], I [will say this anyway]. I will tell you about visions that the Lord [gave a certain man] and about things that he [supernaturally] revealed [to that man. I will tell you this because some of the people among you boast that it was in visions that they received the things that they teach].
Il ne m'est sans doute pas utile de me vanter, mais j'aurai des visions et des révélations du Seigneur.
2 The man that I will tell you about is one [who believes] in Christ. Fourteen years ago he was taken {[Christ] took him} up into the third heaven, [the highest heaven, the place where God is]. I do not know whether he went there [in his physical body] or whether he was outside of his body [at that time and only his spirit went]. Only God really knows.
Je connais un homme en Christ qui a été enlevé au troisième ciel il y a quatorze ans - que ce soit dans le corps, je ne sais pas, ou que ce soit hors du corps, je ne sais pas; Dieu le sait.
3 But he was [suddenly] taken {[Christ suddenly] took him} up to [a place called] Paradise, [that wonderful place where God lives. I repeat that] I do not know whether his body [went there] or only his spirit. Only God knows [that. While he was there, God] told him some things that he does not allow [human beings] to tell [others about].
Je connais un tel homme (qu'il soit dans le corps, ou hors du corps, je ne sais pas; Dieu le sait),
qui a été enlevé dans le paradis et a entendu des paroles inexprimables, qu'il n'est pas permis à un homme de prononcer.
5 I will proudly talk about that man. However, I will not be boasting [as] I say that I [am the one who saw and heard those wonderful things]. I will talk only about the things that [cause others to think of] me as a weak [human being like everyone else].
Je me glorifierai en faveur d'un tel homme, mais je ne me glorifierai pas en mon nom, si ce n'est dans mes faiblesses.
6 But even if I should choose to boast [to you about such wonderful things that happened to me], I would not be [speaking like] a fool, because I would be telling you the truth. But I will not [talk proudly about such things], because I do not want any of you to think highly of me [because of the things that have happened to me]. Instead, [I want you to decide what kind of person I am by the way you see] me [acting] and by what you hear me teach.
Car si je voulais me vanter, je ne serais pas stupide, car je dirais la vérité. Mais je m'abstiens, afin que personne ne pense de moi autre chose que ce qu'il voit en moi ou entend de moi.
7 In order that I might not become proud because of those many wonderful things [that Christ] revealed to me, [God permitted] Satan to send a messenger [to humble me] (OR, to [make me sick]). [What that messenger did to me was painful, like] [MET] a thorn pricking my body.
A cause de l'immensité des révélations, afin que je ne sois pas exalté outre mesure, une épine dans la chair m'a été donnée: un messager de Satan pour me tourmenter, afin que je ne sois pas exalté outre mesure.
8 Three times I prayed to the Lord about it, begging him to take this away from me.
A propos de cette chose, j'ai supplié trois fois le Seigneur qu'elle s'éloigne de moi.
9 But he said to me, “[No, I will not take this away from you. Instead], I will kindly help you, and that will be all that you need, because it is [when you are] weak that I [can] best [work] powerfully [to help you].” So, because of [what the Lord said to me], I will very gladly boast about [the things that make] me [seem] weak, so that [people may realize] that it is Christ who gives me power [to serve him].
Il m'a dit: « Ma grâce te suffit, car ma puissance s'accomplit dans la faiblesse. » J'aime donc mieux me glorifier de mes faiblesses, afin que la puissance de Christ repose sur moi.
10 For that reason, [whenever I am] weak, or [when people] insult me, [or when I have to endure] hardships, or [when I am persecuted] {[people] cause me to suffer}, or [when I am in situations that] distress me, I am content because [I am serving] Christ. [I can say that] because at any time when I myself am weak, that is the [very] time when [Christ] powerfully [helps me].
C'est pourquoi je prends plaisir aux faiblesses, aux blessures, aux nécessités, aux persécutions et aux détresses, à cause de Christ. Car c'est quand je suis faible que je suis fort.
11 It has been foolish for me [to talk about myself like this], but it is you who forced me to do it. Truly [if the Lord would not help me], I would be worthless, [as my opponents say that I am]. But none of the men whom you [wrongfully think] [IRO] are great apostles are greater in any way than I am. So it would have been right/proper for you to say good things about me.
Je suis devenu fou en me vantant. Vous m'avez contraint, car c'est vous qui auriez dû me recommander, car je ne suis en rien inférieur aux meilleurs apôtres, bien que je ne sois rien.
12 [You should have done that, because] when I was with you [I] repeatedly did the things that showed you that [I am truly] an apostle, such as performing many [DOU] miracles.
En effet, les signes d'un apôtre ont été opérés parmi vous avec persévérance, par des signes, des prodiges et des miracles.
13 And I have [certainly treated] you as well as [I treated] the other congregations [that I helped to start. Or do you think that] by not asking you [to pay me for my work], I was not treating you as well as I treated the other congregations? (It is foolish for you to [think that] [IRO] [it] was wrong for me not [to ask for pay from you for my work, and therefore I should ask] you to forgive me for that!/Do you [think that it] was wrong for me not [to ask for pay from you for my work, and therefore I should ask] you to forgive me for that?) [RHQ]
En quoi, en effet, avez-vous été rendus inférieurs au reste des assemblées, si ce n'est que je n'ai pas été moi-même un poids pour vous? Pardonnez-moi cette faute!
14 Now listen to me! It is time for me to come to you for a third [visit. When I come], I [still] will not insist that you [pay me for my work], because I do not want [any of] your [money] [EUP]! What I want is for you [MTY] [to love and appreciate me]. It is not [normally the duty of] children to save [money to provide for the needs of] their parents. Instead, it [is the duty of] parents to [provide] for their children [MET]. In the same way, [it is not your duty to provide for me. Instead, it is my duty to provide spiritual help for you because you are my spiritual children].
Voici, c'est la troisième fois que je suis prêt à venir chez vous, et je ne serai pas un fardeau pour vous; car je ne cherche pas vos biens, mais vous. Car ce ne sont pas les enfants qui doivent épargner pour les parents, mais les parents pour les enfants.
15 So, for my part, [as a good parent would do], I will be very happy to use everything that I have, and do everything that I possibly can, [in order to help you]. And because I love you very much, (I will be very disappointed if [you] do not love me a little bit, too./will [you] not love me a little bit, too?) [RHQ]
Je dépenserai et serai dépensé très volontiers pour vos âmes. Si je vous aime plus abondamment, suis-je moins aimé?
16 [You all] know that I did not depend on you [to provide for my needs]. However, [there are some who accuse me, saying that] [IRO] I was very clever and got money from you by tricking you.
Même ainsi, je ne vous ai pas accablé moi-même. Mais vous pourriez dire qu'étant rusé, je vous ai pris par la ruse.
17 But did I ever do that? No! I never [RHQ] asked any of the men whom I sent to you [to get money] from you [and bring it to me]
Ai-je profité de vous par quelqu'un de ceux que je vous ai envoyés?
18 Titus went [and visited you because] I urged him to do so. I also sent the other believer, [whom you know], to go with Titus. [You know that] Titus did not [RHQ] trick [you in order to get money from you. And you certainly know that] he and I have always [RHQ] acted in exactly the same [honest] way [towards you].
J'ai exhorté Tite, et j'ai envoyé le frère avec lui. Titus a-t-il profité de vous? Ne marchions-nous pas dans le même esprit? N'avons-nous pas marché dans les mêmes pas?
19 While [you have been reading this letter, if] you have been thinking that I have [just] been [saying these things to] defend myself [against those who accuse me, you are wrong]. I have been saying [these things honestly, knowing] that God is listening [to me. I also speak as one who has a close relationship] with Christ. Everything that I do and [everything that I say is] to [help you] whom I love (to grow [spiritually/] to become [spiritually] mature).
Encore une fois, pensez-vous que nous nous excusons auprès de vous? C'est devant Dieu que nous parlons en Christ. Mais toutes choses, bien-aimés, sont pour votre édification.
20 [I have written this way to you] because I worry that when I come [to visit you], I will see that [some of] you are [not conducting your lives the way] that I want you [to]. If that is so, [when I get there] you will see that I will have [to act] in a [very severe way toward you, and I am sure] that you do not want that. Specifically, I am afraid that [some of you] may be quarreling, or that you are being jealous [of each other], or that you quickly get very angry [with them], or that you are acting selfishly, or that [some of] you are saying bad things about others, or that you are (spreading false rumors/saying false things) about each other, or that you are acting proudly, or that you are [doing things] in a disorderly manner.
Car je crains que peut-être, quand je viendrai, je ne vous trouve pas comme je le veux, et que je ne sois trouvé par vous comme vous ne le désirez pas, que peut-être il y ait des querelles, des jalousies, des accès de colère, des factions, des calomnies, des murmures, des pensées orgueilleuses, ou des émeutes,
21 [I] ([feel anxious/am concerned]) [about you. I worry that] when I visit you again, God, the one whom I [serve], will make me feel ashamed of you [when I see that] you [still are not conducting your lives as believers should]. Then I will feel very sad about [some of] you who were sinning previously and have not stopped your sinful behavior. [Some of you] may still have impure [thoughts. Some of you] may be having sexual intercourse with those to whom you are not married. [And some of you] may be doing other shameful things.
qu'à nouveau, quand je viendrai, mon Dieu m'humiliera devant vous, et je porterai le deuil de beaucoup de ceux qui ont péché auparavant, et qui ne se sont pas repentis de l'impureté, de l'immoralité sexuelle et de la luxure qu'ils ont commises.
