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?
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 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all.
3 being revealed that you are a letter of Messiah, 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.
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 Such confidence we have through Messiah towards God,
Such is the confidence that we have in God through Christ.
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from 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 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.
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 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,
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 won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?
will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
9 For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory even more.
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 what was once glorious now has no glory in comparison with the glory that surpasses it.
11 For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
And if what was fading away came with glory, what remains will be even more glorious.
12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we act with great boldness.
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.
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 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.
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 to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
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 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.
