2 Corinthians 12:3

New Century Version

And I know that this man was taken up to paradise. I don't know if he was in his body or away from his body, but God knows. He heard things he is not able to explain, things that no human is allowed to tell.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know; God knows—

King James Version (1611)
And I knew such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth.)

King James Version
And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

English Standard Version
And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—

New American Standard Bible
And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—

Amplified Bible
And I know that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, [only] God knows—

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—

Legacy Standard Bible
And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—

Berean Standard Bible
And I know that this man-whether in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows-

Contemporary English Version
As I said, only God really knows if this man was in his body at the time.

Complete Jewish Bible
And I know that such a man — whether in the body or apart from the body I don't know, God knows —

Darby Translation
And I know such a man, (whether in [the] body or out of the body I know not, God knows;)

Easy-to-Read Version
And I know that this man was taken up to paradise. I don't know if he was in his body or away from his body, but he heard things that he is not able to explain. He heard things that no one is allowed to tell.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And I knowe such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I can not tell: God knoweth)

George Lamsa Translation
And I still know this man, but whether in the body or whether without the body, I cannot tell; God knows;

Good News Translation
I repeat, I know that this man was snatched to Paradise (again, I do not know whether this actually happened or whether it was a vision—only God knows), and there he heard things which cannot be put into words, things that human lips may not speak.

Lexham English Bible
and I know this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—

Literal Translation
And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows--

American Standard Version
And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; God knoweth),

Bible in Basic English
And I have knowledge of such a man (if he was in the body, or out of the body, I am not able to say, but God only),

Hebrew Names Version
I know such a man (whether in the body, or outside of the body, I don't know; God knows),

International Standard Version
I know that this man - whether in his body or outside of his body, I do not know, but God knows -

Etheridge Translation
And I know this man himself,-but whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not, Aloha himself knoweth,

Murdock Translation
And I knew this same man; (but whether in a body, or out of a body, I know not; God knoweth;)

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I knewe the same man (whether in the body or out of the body, I can not tell, God knoweth)

English Revised Version
And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; God knoweth),

World English Bible
I know such a man (whether in the body, or outside of the body, I don't know; God knows),

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Yea, I knew such a man (whether in the body or out of the body, I know not, God knoweth) That he was caught up into paradise,

Weymouth's New Testament
And I know that this man-- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y woot sich a man; whether in bodi, or out of bodi, Y noot, God woot;

Update Bible Version
And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I don't know; God knows),

Webster's Bible Translation
And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

New English Translation
And I know that this man (whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows)

New King James Version
And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--

New Living Translation
Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know

New Life Bible
I say it again, I know this man was taken up. But I do not know if his body or just his spirit was taken up. Only God knows.

New Revised Standard
And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows—

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And I know such a man as this, whether in the body or apart from the body, I know not, - God, knoweth,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth):

Revised Standard Version
And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And I knowe the same man (whether in the body or out of the body I canot tell god knoweth)

Young's Literal Translation
and I have known such a man -- whether in the body, whether out of the body, I have not known, God hath known, --

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and I knowe the same man (whether he was in ye body or out of the body, I can not tell, God knoweth)

Mace New Testament (1729)
but tho' I don't know whether it was in the body, or out of the body, which God only knows,

Simplified Cowboy Version
Listen close, I don't know if my body made the trip or just my mind. Like I said, only God knows.

Contextual Overview

¹ I must continue to brag. It will do no good, but I will talk now about visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who was taken up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. I do not know whether the man was in his body or out of his body, but God knows. ³And I know that this man was taken up to paradise. I don't know if he was in his body or away from his body, but God knows. He heard things he is not able to explain, things that no human is allowed to tell. ⁵ I will brag about a man like that, but I will not brag about myself, except about my weaknesses. ⁶ But if I wanted to brag about myself, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will not brag about myself. I do not want people to think more of me than what they see me do or hear me say. ⁷ So that I would not become too proud of the wonderful things that were shown to me, a painful physical problem was given to me. This problem was a messenger from Satan, sent to beat me and keep me from being too proud. ⁸ I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, "My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you." So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ's power can live in me. ¹⁰ For this reason I am happy when I have weaknesses, insults, hard times, sufferings, and all kinds of troubles for Christ. Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 18:12 - the Spirit of the Lord 2 Kings 2:16 - the Spirit Ezekiel 11:24 - the spirit Daniel 10:8 - I was 2 Corinthians 5:8 - and willing 2 Corinthians 11:11 - God 2 Corinthians 12:2 - knew

Cross-References

Genesis 18:18
Abraham's children will certainly become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.

Genesis 27:29
May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. May you be master over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. May everyone who curses you be cursed, and may everyone who blesses you be blessed."

Genesis 28:14
Your descendants will be as many as the dust of the earth. They will spread west and east, north and south, and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.

Genesis 30:27
Laban said to him, "If I have pleased you, please stay. I know the Lord has blessed me because of you.

Genesis 30:30
When I came, you had little, but now you have much. Every time I did something for you, the Lord blessed you. But when will I be able to do something for my own family?"

Genesis 39:5
When Joseph was put in charge of the house and everything Potiphar owned, the Lord blessed the people in Potiphar's house because of Joseph. And the Lord blessed everything that belonged to Potiphar, both in the house and in the field.

Exodus 23:22
If you listen carefully to all he says and do everything that I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies. I will fight all who fight against you.

Numbers 24:9
Like a lion, they lie waiting to attack; like a lioness, no one would be brave enough to wake them. Anyone who blesses you will be blessed, and anyone who curses you will be cursed."

Psalms 72:17
Let the king be famous forever; let him be remembered as long as the sun shines. Let the nations be blessed because of him, and may they all bless him.

Matthew 25:40
"Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I knew such a man,.... The same man, namely himself, is here designed, and the same rapture spoken of, and the condition he was in expressed in the same words: which repetition is made for the more strong affirmation of what he delivered, and to signify the marvellousness of this vision, and how surprising and unaccountable it was.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And I knew such a man - It is not uncommon to repeat a solemn affirmation in order that it may be made more emphatic. This is done here. Paul repeats the idea, that he was intimately acquainted with such a man, and that he did not know whether he was in the body or out of the body. All that was known to God.