2 Corinthians 3
1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
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?
2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
Our letter of recommendation is yourselves--a letter written on our hearts and everywhere known and read.
3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.
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.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God,
Such is the confidence which we have through Christ in the presence of God;
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,
not that of ourselves we are competent to decide anything by our own reasonings, but our competency comes from God.
6 who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
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.
7 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,
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;
8 won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?
will not the service of the Spirit be far more glorious?
9 For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
For if the service which pronounces doom had glory, far more glorious still is the service which tells of righteousness.
10 For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.
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.
11 For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
For if that which was to be abolished came with glory, much more is that which is permanent arrayed in glory.
12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,
Therefore, cherishing a hope like this, we speak without reserve, and we do not imitate Moses,
13 and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face so that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.
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.
14 But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.
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.
15 But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
Yes, to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their hearts.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
But whenever the heart of the nation shall have returned to the Lord, the veil will be withdrawn.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Now by "the Lord" is meant the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is enjoyed.
18 But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
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.
