Προς Κορινθιους Β΄ 3
1 Ἀρχόμεθα πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς συνιστᾶν; ἢ μὴ χρῄζομεν ὥς τινες συνστατικῶν ἐπιστολῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐξ ὑμῶν;
Do we begin again to recommend ourselves? or do we need, as some do, recommendatory epistles to you, or letters of recommendation from you?
2 ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἡμῶν ὑμεῖς ἐστε, ἐγγεγραμμένη ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, γινωσκομένη καὶ ἀναγινωσκομένη ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων,
Ye are our epistle, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by all men:
3 φανερούμενοι ὅτι ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ χριστοῦ διακονηθεῖσα ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἐγγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι ἀλλὰ πνεύματι θεοῦ ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις.
being manifest that ye are the epistle of Christ, through our ministration, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on tables of the heart of flesh.
4 πεποίθησιν δὲ τοιαύτην ἔχομεν διὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεόν·
And such confidence have we through Christ towards God:
5 οὐχ ὅτι ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν ἱκανοί ἐσμεν λογίσασθαί τι ὡς ἐξ αὐτῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ἱκανότης ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ,
not that we can of ourselves reckon upon any thing as from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.
6 ὃς καὶ ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους καινῆς διαθήκης, οὐ γράμματος ἀλλὰ πνεύματος· τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέννει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ.
Who hath also fitted us to be ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.
7 εἰ δὲ ἡ διακονία τοῦ θανάτου ἐν γράμματι, ἐντετυπωμένη λίθοις, ἐγενήθη ἐν δόξῃ, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ πρόσ ωπον Μωυσέως διὰ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ τὴν καταργουμένην,
Now if the ministration of death which was in writing, and engraven on stones, was so glorious that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly on the face of Moses, because of the lustre of his countenance, which was to be taken away:
8 πῶς οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἡ διακονία τοῦ πνεύματος ἔσται ἐν δόξῃ;
shall not the ministration of the Spirit be more glorious?
9 εἰ γὰρ τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς κατακρίσεως δόξα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον περισσεύει ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης δόξῃ.
For if the ministration of condemnation was so glorious, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory:
10 καὶ γὰρ οὐ δεδόξασται τὸ δεδοξασμένον ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει, εἵνεκεν τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης δόξης.
since what was then made glorious was not in comparison glorious, because of the glory that surpasseth it.
11 εἰ γὰρ τὸ καταργούμενον διὰ δόξης, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ μένον ἐν δόξῃ.
For if that, which was to be taken away, came with glory, much more that which abideth is glorious.
12 ἔχοντες οὖν τοιαύτην ἐλπίδα πολλῇ παῤῥησίᾳ χρώμεθα,
Having therefore such hope, we use much freedom of speech:
13 καὶ οὐ καθάπερ Μωυσῆς ἐτίθει κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ τέλος τοῦ καταργουμένου·
and do not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, intimating that the children of Israel could not look to the end of that which was to be abolished; but their minds were blinded:
14 ἀλλὰ ἐπωρώθη τὰ νοήματα αὐτῶν. ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μένει, μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον, ὅτι ἐν χριστῷ καταργεῖται,
for unto this day the same veil remaineth unremoved in the reading of the old testament, which veil is taken away in Christ.
15 ἀλλ᾽ ἕως σήμερον, ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκηται Μωυσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται·
But to this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
16 ἡνίκα δὲ ἂν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα.
Though when it turneth unto the Lord, the veil is taken off:
17 ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐλευθερία.
now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι, τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος.
But we all with unveiled face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, as proceeding from the Spirit of the Lord.
