2 Corinthians 3
English Standard Version
Ministers of the New Covenant
3 (A)Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, (B)as some do, (C)letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 (D)You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our[a] hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of (E)the living God, not on (F)tablets of stone but on (G)tablets of (H)human hearts.[b]
4 (I)Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 (J)Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but (K)our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be (L)ministers of (M)a new covenant, not of (N)the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but (O)the Spirit gives life.
7 Now if (P)the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory (Q)that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in (R)the ministry of condemnation, (S)the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.
12 Since we have such a hope, (T)we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, (U)who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But (V)their minds were (W)hardened. For to this day, (X)when they read (Y)the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when (Z)one[c] turns to the Lord, (AA)the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord[d] is the Spirit, and where (AB)the Spirit of the Lord is, there is (AC)freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, (AD)beholding (AE)the glory of the Lord,[e] (AF)are being transformed into the same image (AG)from one degree of glory to another.[f] For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 3:2 Some manuscripts your
- 2 Corinthians 3:3 Greek fleshly hearts
- 2 Corinthians 3:16 Greek he
- 2 Corinthians 3:17 Or this Lord
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 Or reflecting the glory of the Lord
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 Greek from glory to glory
2 Corinthians 3
Common English Bible
3 Are we starting to commend ourselves again? We don’t need letters of introduction to you or from you like other people, do we? 2 You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are Christ’s letter, delivered by us. You weren’t written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. You weren’t written on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 This is the confidence that we have through Christ in the presence of God. 5 It isn’t that we ourselves are qualified to claim that anything came from us. No, our qualification is from God. 6 He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not based on what is written but on the Spirit, because what is written kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Ministers of the new covenant
7 The ministry that brought death was carved in letters on stone tablets. It came with such glory that the Israelites couldn’t look for long at Moses’ face because his face was shining with glory, even though it was a fading glory. 8 Won’t the ministry of the Spirit be much more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness? 10 In fact, what was glorious isn’t glorious now, because of the glory that is brighter. 11 If the glory that fades away was glorious, how much more glorious is the one that lasts!
12 So, since we have such a hope, we act with great confidence. 13 We aren’t like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites couldn’t watch the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. Right up to the present day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. The veil is not removed because it is taken away by Christ. 15 Even today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But whenever someone turns back to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. 18 All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror. We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible