2 Corinthians 3
1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Unless we need, as some men, commendatory letters to you or commendatory from you?
Am I beginning again to "recommend" myself? Or do I need, as some do, letters of commendation either to you or from you?
2 Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
You are my letter, written on my heart, known and read by all men.
3 being seen that ye are a letter of Christ, administered by us, written not in ink, but in the Spirit of the living God, not in stony tablets, but in fleshly tablets, in hearts.
Since all can see that you are a letter of Christ transcribed by men, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts as tablets.
4 And we have such confidence toward God through Christ,
Such confidence I have through Christ before God.
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to reckon anything as from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
Not that I am sufficient in myself to reach any conclusion in my own wisdom; but my sufficiency is from God.
6 who also made us qualified helpers of a new covenant, not of a document, but of a Spirit, for the document kills but the Spirit makes alive.
It is he who has also made me sufficient as a minister of a new covenant; not of a letter but of a spirit; for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.
7 But if the administration of death in writings engraved on stones occurred in glory, so that the sons of Israel could not gaze upon the face of Moses because of the fading glory of his countenance,
If, however, the administration of death, written with letters and engraved on stones, began in glory, so that the children of Israel could not gaze steadily on the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face - a glory even then fading -
8 how will the administration of the Spirit not be more in glory?
how much more shall the ministry of the Spirit abide in glory?
9 For if the administration of condemnation has glory, the administration of righteousness excels much more in glory.
For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, far more is the ministry of righteousness radiant in glory.
10 For also that which has been glorified, has not been glorified in this regard, because of the glory that transcends.
Indeed that which once was glorious has lost its glory, because of the glory which surpasses it.
11 For if that which is abolished was through glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
For if that which was fading came in glory, far more will that which ever abides be glorious.
12 Having therefore such a hope we use great boldness,
Therefore, cherishing such a hope, I use great freedom of speech.
13 and are not as Moses. He put a veil over his face in order for the sons of Israel not to gaze on the end of the fading.
I do not do as Moses did, who used to cover his face with a veil to keep the children of Israel from beholding the passing of a fading glory.
14 But their minds were hardened, for to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old testament, not being uncovered, which thing is abolished in Christ.
Nay, their minds were made dull; for to this very day, at the public reading of the Old Testament, the same veil rests thereon, because it is not revealed to them that in Christ the veil is taken away.
15 But to this day when Moses is read, a veil lies upon their heart.
Yes, to this very day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies on their hearts;
16 But whenever it turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
but when their heart turns to our Lord the veil is stripped away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
(The Lord means the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord abides there is freedom.)
18 But we all, with unveiled face seeing by reflection the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same likeness from glory to glory, just as from the Spirit of the Lord.
And we all, with unveiled faces, reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are ourselves continually being transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as by the Lord, the Spirit.
