2 Corinthians 3
1 Do you say that this is self-recommendation once more? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? We do not need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you, do we?
2 Our letter of recommendation is yourselves--a letter written on our hearts and everywhere known and read.
You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by everyone;
3 For all can see that you are a letter of Christ entrusted to our care, and written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the ever-living God--and not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts as tablets.
being revealed that you are a letter of Messiah, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Ruach of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.
4 Such is the confidence which we have through Christ in the presence of God;
Such confidence we have through Messiah toward God;
5 not that of ourselves we are competent to decide anything by our own reasonings, but our competency comes from God.
not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;
6 It is He also who has made us competent to serve Him in connexion with a new Covenant, which is not a written code but a Spirit; for the written code inflicts death, but the Spirit gives Life.
who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Ruach. For the letter kills, but the Ruach gives life.
7 If, however, the service that proclaims death--its code being engraved in writing upon stones--came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily on the face of Moses because of the brightness of his face--a vanishing brightness;
But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away:
8 will not the service of the Spirit be far more glorious?
won't service of the Ruach be with much more glory?
9 For if the service which pronounces doom had glory, far more glorious still is the service which tells of righteousness.
For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
10 For, in fact, that which was once resplendent in glory has no glory at all in this respect, that it pales before the glory which surpasses it.
For truly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.
11 For if that which was to be abolished came with glory, much more is that which is permanent arrayed in glory.
For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
12 Therefore, cherishing a hope like this, we speak without reserve, and we do not imitate Moses,
Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,
13 who used to throw a veil over his face to hide from the gaze of the children of Israel the passing away of what was but transitory.
and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel would not look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.
14 Nay, their minds were made dull; for to this very day during the reading of the book of the ancient Covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, because it is only in Christ that it is to be abolished.
But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Messiah it passes away.
15 Yes, to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their hearts.
But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
16 But whenever the heart of the nation shall have returned to the Lord, the veil will be withdrawn.
But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now by "the Lord" is meant the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is enjoyed.
Now the Lord is the Ruach and where the Ruach of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, reflecting like bright mirrors the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same likeness, from one degree of radiant holiness to another, even as derived from the Lord the Spirit.
But we all, with unveiled face looking as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Ruach.
