2 Corinthians 3
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some [others], epistles of commendation to you, or [letters] of commendation from you.
Must we begin again to commend ourselves? Or are we in need (as some are) of epistles of commendation for you, or from you?
2 Ye are our epistle 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 [Forasmuch as ye are] manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on fleshly tables of the heart.
It has been made manifest that you are the Epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written down, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, and not on tablets of stone, but on the fleshly tablets of the heart.
4 And such trust we have through Christ toward God.
And we have such faith, through Christ, toward God.
5 Not that we are sufficient by ourselves to think any thing as from ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] from God;
It is not that we are adequate to think anything of ourselves, as if anything was from us. But our adequacy is from God.
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
And he has made us suitable ministers of the New Testament, not in the letter, but in the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away;
But if the ministration of death, engraved with letters upon stones, was in glory, (so much so that the sons of Israel were not able to gaze intently upon the face of Moses, because of the glory of his countenance) even though this ministration was ineffective,
8 How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?
how could the ministration of the Spirit not be in greater glory?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation [was] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
For if the ministration of condemnation is with glory, so much more is the ministration of justice abundant in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
And neither was it glorified by means of an excellent glory, though it was made illustrious in its own way.
11 For if that which was done away [was] glorious, much more that which remaineth [is] glorious.
For if even what was temporary has its glory, then what is lasting has an even greater glory.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
Therefore, having such a hope, we act with much confidence,
13 And not as Moses, [who] put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
and not as Moses did, in placing a veil over his face, so that the sons of Israel would not gaze intently at his face. This was ineffective,
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day the same vail remaineth untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ.
for their minds were obtuse. And, even until this present day, the very same veil, in the readings from the Old Testament, remains not taken away (though, in Christ, it is taken away).
15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
But even until today, when Moses is read, a veil is still set over their hearts.
16 Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
But when they will have been converted to the Lord, then the veil shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty.
Now the Spirit is Lord. And wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Yet truly, all of us, as we gaze upon the unveiled glory of the face of the Lord, are transfigured into the same image, from one glory to another. And this is done by the Spirit of the Lord.
