---
title: "2 Corinthians 12 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/2-corinthians/12/
description: "His raptures and revelations, His being buffeted by Satan. His fear for… 2 Corinthians 12 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# 2 Corinthians 12

2 Corinthians 12 is chapter 12 of 13 in the Second Letter to the Corinthians. Here are all 21 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> His raptures and revelations, His being buffeted by Satan. His fear for the Corinthians.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## 2 Corinthians 12 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. If it is necessary (though certainly not expedient) to glory, then I will next tell of visions and revelations from the Lord.
2. I know a man in Christ, who, more than fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know: God knows), was enraptured to the third heaven.
3. And I know a certain man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I do not know: God knows),
4. who was enraptured into Paradise. And he heard words of mystery, which it is not permitted for man to speak.
5. On behalf of someone like this, I will glory. But on behalf of myself, I will not glory about anything, except my infirmities.
6. For even though I am willing to glory, I will not be foolish. But I will speak the truth. Yet I will do so sparingly, lest anyone may consider me to be anything more than what he sees in me, or anything more than what he hears from me.
7. And lest the greatness of the revelations should extol me, there was given to me a prodding in my flesh: an angel of Satan, who struck me repeatedly.
8. Because of this, three times I petitioned the Lord that it might be taken away from me.
9. And he said to me: “My grace is sufficient for you. For virtue is perfected in weakness.” And so, willingly shall I glory in my weaknesses, so that the virtue of Christ may live within me.
10. Because of this, I am pleased in my infirmity: in reproaches, in difficulties, in persecutions, in distresses, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am powerful.
11. I have become foolish; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you. For I have been nothing less than those who claim to be above the measure of Apostles, even though I am nothing.
12. And the seal of my Apostleship has been set over you, with all patience, with signs and wonders and miracles.
13. For what is there that you have had which is less than the other churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this injury.
14. Behold, this is the third time I have prepared to come to you, and yet I will not be a burden to you. For I am seeking not the things that are yours, but you yourselves. And neither should the children store up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
15. And so, very willingly, I will spend and exhaust myself for the sake of your souls, loving you more, while being loved less.
16. And so be it. I have not burdened you, but instead, being astute, I obtained you by guile.
17. And yet, did I defraud you by means of any of those whom I sent to you?
18. I asked for Titus, and I sent a brother with him. Did Titus defraud you? Did we not walk with the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?
19. Have you ever thought that we should explain ourselves to you? We speak in the sight of God, in Christ. But all things, most beloved, are for your edification.
20. Yet I fear, lest perhaps, when I have arrived, I might not find you such as I would want, and I might be found by you, such as you would not want. For perhaps there may be among you: contention, envy, animosity, dissension, detraction, whispering, self-exaltation, and rebellion.
21. If so, then, when I have arrived, God may again humble me among you. And so, I mourn for the many who sinned beforehand, and did not repent, over the lust and fornication and homosexuality, which they have committed.

## 2 Corinthians 12 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Si gloriari oportet (non expedit quidem), veniam autem ad visiones et revelationes Domini.
2. Scio hominem in Christo ante annos quatuordecim, sive in corpore nescio, sive extra corpus nescio, Deus scit, raptum hujusmodi usque ad tertium cælum.
3. Et scio hujusmodi hominem sive in corpore, sive extra corpus nescio, Deus scit:
4. quoniam raptus est in paradisum: et audivit arcana verba, quæ non licet homini loqui.
5. Pro hujusmodi gloriabor: pro me autem nihil gloriabor nisi in infirmitatibus meis.
6. 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.
7. Et ne magnitudo revelationum extollat me, datus est mihi stimulus carnis meæ angelus Satanæ, qui me colaphizet.
8. Propter quod ter Dominum rogavi ut discederet a me:
9. et dixit mihi: Sufficit tibi gratia mea: nam virtus in infirmitate perficitur. Libenter igitur gloriabor in infirmitatibus meis, ut inhabitet in me virtus Christi.
10. Propter quod placeo mihi in infirmitatibus meis, in contumeliis, in necessitatibus, in persecutionibus, in angustiis pro Christo: cum enim infirmor, tunc potens sum.
11. 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:
12. signa tamen apostolatus mei facta sunt super vos in omni patientia, in signis, et prodigiis, et virtutibus.
13. Quid est enim, quod minus habuistis præ ceteris ecclesiis, nisi quod ego ipse non gravavi vos? donate mihi hanc injuriam.
14. 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.
15. Ego autem libentissime impendam, et super impendar ipse pro animabus vestris: licet plus vos diligens, minus diligar.
16. Sed esto: ego vos non gravavi: sed cum essem astutus, dolo vos cepi.
17. Numquid per aliquem eorum, quod misi ad vos, circumveni vos?
18. Rogavi Titum, et misi cum illo fratrem. Numquid Titus vos circumvenit? nonne eodem spiritu ambulavimus? nonne iisdem vestigiis?
19. Olim putatis quod excusemus nos apud vos? coram Deo in Christo loquimur: omnia autem, carissimi, propter ædificationem vestram.
20. 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:
21. 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.

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- CCC ¶ 268: The Almighty ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 1508: Its Foundations in the Economy of Salvation ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 273: The Almighty ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## Bishop Challoner's notes

Bp. Richard Challoner, notes on the Douay-Rheims (1750); they comment on its older wording.
- Verse 9: The strength and power of God more perfectly shines forth in our weakness and infirmity; as the more weak we are of ourselves, the more illustrious is his grace in supporting us, and giving us the victory under all trials and conflicts.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Sat, Jun 19, 2027 (computed): Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
- Sun, Jul 4, 2027 (computed): Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time — Second Reading, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).