2 Corinthians 3
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
(Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or commendation from you?
2 You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by everyone.
You are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by all men;
3 It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
you are manifestly a letter of Christ, mediated by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on ‘tablets’ that are hearts of flesh.)
4 Such confidence before God is ours through Christ.
Now we have such confidence before God because of the Christ;
5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
not that we are competent of ourselves to reckon anything as being from ourselves, but our competence is from God—
6 And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
indeed, He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant; not of letter but of Spirit, because the letter kills, while the Spirit gives life.
7 Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory,
Now if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones, came with glory—so that the children of Israel could not gaze at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance (that was fading)—
8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
how can the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
9 For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!
For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!
10 Indeed, what was once glorious has no glory now in comparison to the glory that surpasses it.
Because what had glory could actually be said to be without glory, compared to the surpassing glory—
11 For if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which endures!
if what is being set aside had glory, that which is continuing is much more glorious.
12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we use great boldness of speech—
13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of what was fading away.
not like Moses, who put a veil over his own face, so that the children of Israel would not observe the end of what was fading.
14 But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.
But, it was their minds that were closed, because to this day that very veil remains in place when the Old Testament is read, since only in Christ is it taken away.
15 And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
Yes, even to this day, when Moses is read a veil lies on their heart.
16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
However, whenever anyone turns to the Lord the veil is removed.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Now the Spirit is the Lord, and where the Lord's Spirit is there is freedom.
18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
So we all, contemplating as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, precisely from Lord Spirit.
