2 Corinthians 3
1 Do we begin again to recommend ourselves, except we need, as some, letters of recommendation to you, or 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 You are our letter, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
3 revealed that you are a letter of Christ ministered by us, not written with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in the tablets of stone, but in fleshy tablets 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 trust we have through the Christ toward God,
Now, confidence such as this we have, through the Christ, toward God;
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency [is] of God,
not that we are able, of ourselves, to devise anything, as from ourselves; but our ability is from God,
6 who also made us sufficient [to be] servants of the New Covenant, not of letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, and the Spirit makes alive.
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 And if the ministry of death, in letters, engraved in stones, came in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look steadfastly into the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face—which was being made useless,
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 will the ministry of the Spirit not be more in glory?
how shall not the ministering of the spirit be more glorious?
9 For if the ministry of the condemnation [is] glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory;
For if the ministering of condemnation be glory, much more does the ministering of righteousness surpass in glory.
10 for also even that which has been glorious, has not been glorious—in this respect, because of the superior glory;
For that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that surpasses.
11 for if that which is being made useless [is] through glory, much more that which is remaining [is] 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, then, such hope, we use much freedom of speech,
Since then we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech,
13 and [are] not as Moses, who was putting a veil on his own face, for the sons of Israel not to look steadfastly into the end of that which is being made useless,
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 minds were hardened, for to this day the same veil at the reading of the Old Covenant remains unwithdrawn—which in Christ is being made useless—
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 until today, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart,
But to this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart:
16 and whenever they may 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 And the LORD is the Spirit; and 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 and we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the LORD in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.
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.
