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?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
2 Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read of all men,
You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by everyone.
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.
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.
4 And such confidence have we through the Christ towards God:
Such confidence before God is ours through Christ.
5 not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency [is] of God;
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes 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.
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.
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;
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,
8 how shall not rather the ministry of the Spirit subsist in glory?
will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
9 For if the ministry of condemnation [be] glory, much rather the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory.
For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!
10 For also that [which was] glorified is not glorified in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory.
Indeed, what was once glorious has no glory now in comparison to the glory that surpasses it.
11 For if that annulled [was introduced] with glory, much rather that which abides [subsists] in glory.
For if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which endures!
12 Having therefore such hope, we use much boldness:
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
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.
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.
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 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.
15 But unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil lies upon their heart.
And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
16 But when it shall turn to [the] Lord, the veil is taken away.)
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is 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 freedom.
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, 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.
