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 show you who we are? Or do we, like others, need that letters recommendatory of us should be written to you? Or, that ye should write recommendations of us?
2 Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read of all men,
Ye are our epistle, written on our hearts, and known and read by every man.
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.
For ye know that ye are an epistle of the Messiah, ministered by us; not written with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on the tablets of the heart of flesh.
4 And such confidence have we through the Christ towards God:
And such confidence have we in the Messiah towards 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 sufficient to think any thing as of ourselves; but our efficiency 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 hath fitted us to be ministers of the new Testament, not in the letter, but in the Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth 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 ministration of death was engraved upon stones in writing, and was so glorious that the children of Israel could not look on the face of Moses, on account of the glory upon his face which vanished away;
8 how shall not rather the ministry of the Spirit subsist in glory?
how then shall not the ministration of the Spirit be still more glorious?
9 For if the ministry of condemnation [be] glory, much rather the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory.
For if there was glory in the ministration of condemnation, how much more shall the ministration of justification excel 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 glorious, was as if not glorious, in comparison with this which excelleth in glory.
11 For if that annulled [was introduced] with glory, much rather that which abides [subsists] in glory.
For if that which is abolished was glorious, much more must that which abideth be glorious.
12 Having therefore such hope, we use much boldness:
Seeing therefore we have this hope, we the more speak with boldness;
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 are not like Moses, who threw a vail over his face, that the children of Israel might not behold the termination of that which was abolished.
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 they were blinded in their understanding; for until this day, when the old Testament is read, the same vail resteth upon them; nor is it manifest to them, that it is abolished by the Messiah.
15 But unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil lies upon their heart.
And unto this day, when Moses is read, a vail is thrown upon their hearts.
16 But when it shall turn to [the] Lord, the veil is taken away.)
But when any of them is turned unto the Lord, the vail is taken from him.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, but where the Spirit of [the] Lord [is, there is] liberty.
Now the Lord himself 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 all, with uncovered faces, behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord; and are transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as by the Lord the Spirit.
