The first sentence in this verse is strongly sarcastic. Paul means the opposite of what he says.

To my shame is literally “according to shame I speak,” without any possessive pronoun. Possibly he means to the shame of the Corinthians (so New Jerusalem Bible, “I say it to your shame”), but most likely he means to his own shame (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New American Bible); this interpretation retains the sarcasm.

For that: Good News Translation makes the meaning clearer by saying “to do those things,” clearly referring to the series of negative actions described in the previous verse.

The pronoun any one refers specifically to Paul’s opponents in Corinth. But, as in the previous verse, it may be better translated by a plural. See also 10.7. The structure here is a kind of comparison where Paul is comparing himself with any one who may be so bold as to boast. In some languages the idea “whatever someone else dares … I also dare” may have to be shifted to say “what others boast of … I also boast.” And note that the parenthetic I am speaking as a fool may have to be shifted to the end of the verse or to a position much earlier rather than breaking up the comparison.

The words between dashes in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation may be more easily understood if enclosed in parentheses in the receptor language. Or in some cases this sentence can be placed at the end of this verse without using parentheses. This in fact is what Contemporary English Version has done by concluding “but it is a foolish thing to do.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .