2 Corinthians 3
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or [commendatory] from you?
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some do, letters of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read of all men,
You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
3 being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but [the] Spirit of [the] living God; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of [the] heart.
you are well known to be a letter of Christ, written by us as his ministers, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
4 And such confidence have we through the Christ towards God:
Now, confidence such as this we have, through the Christ, toward God;
5 not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency [is] of God;
not that we are able, of ourselves, to devise anything, as from ourselves; but our ability is from God,
6 who has also made us competent, [as] ministers of [the] new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens.
who has made us able ministers of the new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.
7 (But if the ministry of death, in letters, graven in stones, began with glory, so that the children of Israel could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, [a glory] which is annulled;
For if the ministering of death, by means of a covenant that was written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the sons of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, which glory was to come to an end:
8 how shall not rather the ministry of the Spirit subsist in glory?
how shall not the ministering of the spirit be more glorious?
9 For if the ministry of condemnation [be] glory, much rather the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory.
For if the ministering of condemnation be glory, much more does the ministering of righteousness surpass in glory.
10 For also that [which was] glorified is not glorified in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory.
For that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that surpasses.
11 For if that annulled [was introduced] with glory, much rather that which abides [subsists] in glory.
For if that which was to come to an end was glorious, much more that which is to remain is glorious.
12 Having therefore such hope, we use much boldness:
Since then we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech,
13 and not according as Moses put a veil on his own face, so that the children of Israel should not fix their eyes on the end of that annulled.
and do not as Moses did, who put a vail over his face, so that the sons of Israel could not steadily look to the end of that which was to come to an end.
14 But their thoughts have been darkened, for unto this day the same veil remains in reading the old covenant, unremoved, which in Christ is annulled.
But their minds were blinded: for till this day, in the reading of the old covenant, the same vail remains not taken away, which vail is removed in Christ.
15 But unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil lies upon their heart.
But to this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart:
16 But when it shall turn to [the] Lord, the veil is taken away.)
but whenever their heart shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, but where the Spirit of [the] Lord [is, there is] liberty.
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by [the] Lord [the] Spirit.
And we all, with unvailed face, reflecting the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit.
