2 Corinthians 3
1 Do we begin again to recommend ourselves, except we need, as some, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or are we like some who need letters of commendation to you, or from you?
2 You are our letter, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
You yourselves are our letter – a letter written on our hearts, and one which everybody can read and understand.
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,
All can see that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, a letter 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 trust we have through the Christ toward God,
This, then, is the confidence in regard to God that we have gained through the Christ.
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency [is] of God,
I do not mean that we are fit to form any judgment by ourselves, as if on our own authority;
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.
our fitness comes from God, who himself made us fit to be assistants of a new covenant, of which the substance is, not a written Law, but a Spirit. For the written Law means death, but the Spirit gives life.
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,
If the system of religion which involved death, embodied in a written Law and engraved on stones, began amid such glory, that the Israelites were unable to gaze at the face of Moses because of its glory, though it was but a passing glory,
8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more in glory?
will not the religion that confers the Spirit have still greater glory?
9 For if the ministry of the condemnation [is] glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory;
For, if there was a glory in the religion that involved condemnation, far greater is the glory of the religion that confers righteousness!
10 for also even that which has been glorious, has not been glorious—in this respect, because of the superior glory;
Indeed, that which then had glory has lost its glory, because of the glory which surpasses it.
11 for if that which is being made useless [is] through glory, much more that which is remaining [is] in glory.
And, if that which was to pass away was attended with glory, far more will that which is to endure be surrounded with glory!
12 Having, then, such hope, we use much freedom of speech,
With such a hope as this, we speak with all plainness;
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,
unlike Moses, who covered his face with a veil, to prevent the Israelites from gazing at the disappearance of what was passing away.
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 slow to learn. Indeed, to this very day, at the public reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; only for those who are in union with Christ does it pass away.
15 but until today, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart,
But, even to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies on their hearts.
16 and whenever they may turn to the LORD, the veil is taken away.
Yet, whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
17 And the LORD is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the LORD [is], there [is] liberty;
And the Lord is the Spirit, and, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
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 all of us, with faces from which the veil is lifted, seeing, as if reflected in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into his likeness, from glory to glory, as it is given by the Lord, the Spirit.
