2 Corinthians 3
1 Are we beginning again to recommend ourselves? Or do we need, like some others, letters of recommendation to you, or letters of recommendation from you?
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need (as some do) epistles of commendation to you, or from you?
2 Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
You are our epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and read by all men:
3 since ye are manifestly shown to be a letter of Christ by means of our service, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tablets of stone, but on fleshly tablets of the heart.
Being manifested, that you are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart.
4 And such confidence as this have we through Christ toward God;
And such confidence we have, through Christ, towards God.
5 not that we are able of ourselves to think anything, as from ourselves; but our ability is from God;
Not that we are sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is from God.
6 who also gave us ability to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.
Who also hath made us fit ministers of the new testament, not in the letter, but in the spirit. For the letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth.
7 But if the ministration of death, engraven in letters on stones, was so glorious, that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses by reason of the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away,
Now if the ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious; so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which is made void:
8 shall not the ministration of the Spirit be much more glorious?
How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather in glory?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation had glory, much greater is the glory of the ministration of righteousness.
For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more the ministration of justice aboundeth in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious hath ceased to be glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory by which it is exceeded.
For even that which was glorious in this part was not glorified, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which was to be done away was glorious, much more glorious is that which endureth.
For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is in glory.
12 Having therefore such hope, we use great plainness of speech;
Having therefore such hope, we use much confidence:
13 and do not as Moses did, who put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel might not steadfastly look on the end of that which was to be done away.
And not as Moses put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel might not steadfastly look on the face of that which is made void.
14 But their understandings were blinded; for until this day, when the old covenant is read, the same veil remaineth, since it is not unveiled to them that it is done away in Christ;
But their senses were made dull. For, until this present day, the selfsame veil, in the reading of the old testament, remaineth not taken away (because in Christ it is made void).
15 but even till this day, when Moses is read, there lieth a veil upon their heart;
But even until this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
16 but whenever it turneth to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
But when they shall be converted to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Now the Lord is a Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all with unveiled face beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Lord, the Spirit.
But we all beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.
