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?
Do we begin again to recommend ourselves? or do we need, as some do, recommendatory epistles to you, or letters of recommendation from you?
2 Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
Ye are our epistle, inscribed on our hearts, 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.
being manifest that ye are the epistle of Christ, through our ministration, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on tables of the heart of flesh.
4 And we have such confidence toward God through Christ,
And such confidence have we through Christ towards God:
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to reckon anything as from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
not that we can of ourselves reckon upon any thing as from ourselves, but our 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.
Who hath also fitted us to be ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.
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,
Now if the ministration of death which was in writing, and engraven on stones, was so glorious that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly on the face of Moses, because of the lustre of his countenance, which was to be taken away:
8 how will the administration of the Spirit not be more in glory?
shall not the ministration of the Spirit be more glorious?
9 For if the administration of condemnation has glory, the administration of righteousness excels much more in glory.
For if the ministration of condemnation was so glorious, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory:
10 For also that which has been glorified, has not been glorified in this regard, because of the glory that transcends.
since what was then made glorious was not in comparison glorious, because of the glory that surpasseth it.
11 For if that which is abolished was through glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
For if that, which was to be taken away, came with glory, much more that which abideth is glorious.
12 Having therefore such a hope we use great boldness,
Having therefore such hope, we use much 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.
and do not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, intimating that the children of Israel could not look to the end of that which was to be abolished; but their minds were blinded:
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.
for unto this day the same veil remaineth unremoved in the reading of the old testament, which veil is taken away in Christ.
15 But to this day when Moses is read, a veil lies upon their heart.
But to this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
16 But whenever it turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
Though when it turneth unto the Lord, the veil is taken off:
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
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.
But we all with unveiled face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, as proceeding from the Spirit of the Lord.
