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?
Do we begin again to recommend ourselves, except we need, as some, letters of recommendation unto you, or from you?
2 Our letter of recommendation is yourselves--a letter written on our hearts and everywhere known and read.
our letter ye are, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
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.
manifested that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in the tablets of stone, but in fleshy tablets of the heart,
4 Such is the confidence which we have through Christ in the presence of God;
and such trust we have through the Christ 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 think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency [is] of 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 [to be] ministrants of a new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit; for the letter doth kill, and the spirit doth make alive.
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;
and if the ministration of the death, in letters, engraved in stones, came in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look stedfastly to the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face — which was being made useless,
8 will not the service of the Spirit be far more glorious?
how shall the ministration of the Spirit not be more in 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 ministration of the condemnation [is] glory, much more doth the ministration of the righteousness abound 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 also even that which hath been glorious, hath not been glorious — in this respect, because of the superior glory;
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 is being made useless [is] through glory, much more that which is remaining [is] in glory.
12 Therefore, cherishing a hope like this, we speak without reserve, and we do not imitate Moses,
Having, then, such hope, we use much freedom 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 [are] not as Moses, who was putting a vail upon his own face, for the sons of Israel not stedfastly to look to the end of that which is being made useless,
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 unto this day the same vail at the reading of the Old Covenant doth remain unwithdrawn — which in Christ is being made useless —
15 Yes, to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their hearts.
but till to-day, when Moses is read, a vail upon their heart doth lie,
16 But whenever the heart of the nation shall have returned to the Lord, the veil will be withdrawn.
and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away.
17 Now by "the Lord" is meant the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is enjoyed.
And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit 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.
and we all, with unvailed face, the glory of the Lord beholding in a mirror, to the same image are being transformed, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
