2 Corinthians 3
1 Are we to begin again, ourselves, to commend? or have we need, like some, of commendatory letters unto you, or from you?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or letters of recommendation from you?
2 Our letter, ye, are, inscribed in our hearts, noted and read by all men:
You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all.
3 Manifesting yourselves that ye are a letter of Christ, ministered by us, —inscribed—not with ink, but with [the] Spirit of a Living God, not in tablets of stone, but in tablets [which are] hearts of flesh.
You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets, but on tablets of human hearts.
4 But, such confidence as this, have we, through the Christ, towards God.
Such is the confidence that we have in God through Christ.
5 Not that, of our own selves, sufficient, are we, to reckon anything as of ourselves, but, our sufficiency, is of God; —
Not that we are competent in and of ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
6 Who also hath made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant—not of letter, but of spirit, for, the letter, killeth, whereas, the Spirit, maketh alive.
He has made us competent to be 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 engraven in stones, was brought into existence with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look steadfastly into the face of Moses, by reason of the glory of his face—which [glory] was to be done away,
Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its glory (a glory that was fading away),
8 How shall not, rather, the ministry of the Spirit, be with glory?
will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
9 For, if, the ministry of condemnation was glory, much rather, doth the ministry of righteousness abound with glory,
For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory even more.
10 For that which hath been made glorious, hath not even been made glorious, in this respect, —by reason of the surpassing glory.
For what was once glorious now has no glory in comparison with the glory that surpasses it.
11 For, if that which was to be done away [was brought in] with glory, much more, that which is to abide, is in glory.
And if what was fading away came with glory, what remains will be even more glorious.
12 Having, then, such hope as this, great openness of speech, do we use; —
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we act with great boldness.
13 And are not just like Moses, [who] kept putting a veil upon his face, so that the sons of Israel should not look steadily unto the end of that which was to be done away.
We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not gaze at the end of what was fading away.
14 But their thoughts were turned into stone: for, until this very day, the same veil, upon the reading of the old covenant, abideth, not to be removed, because, in Christ, it is to be done away;
But their minds were hardened, for to this day the same veil remains unlifted when the old covenant is read. Only in Christ is this veil taken away.
15 But, until this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil upon their heart, doth lie;
But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.
16 Howbeit, whensoever he turneth unto [the] Lord, he taketh off the veil:
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 And, the Lord, is, the Spirit: now, where the Spirit of one who is Lord [is, there is] freedom!
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And, we all, with unveiled face, receiving and reflecting, the glory of [the] Lord, into the same image, are being transformed, from glory into glory, —even as from a Spirit that is Lord.
And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
