¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders^(A) who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people.^(B) Have them come to the tent of meeting,^(C) that they may stand there with you. ¹⁷ I will come down and speak with you^(D) there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them.^(E) They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.^(F)

¹⁸ “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves^(G) in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed,^(H) “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!”^(I) Now the Lord will give you meat,^(J) and you will eat it. ¹⁹ You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, ²⁰ but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it^(K)—because you have rejected the Lord,^(L) who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”^(M)

²¹ But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men^(N) on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ ²² Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”^(O)

²³ The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?^(P) Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.^(Q)”

²⁴ So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. ²⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud^(R) and spoke with him,^(S) and he took some of the power of the Spirit^(T) that was on him and put it on the seventy elders.^(U) When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied^(V)—but did not do so again.

²⁶ However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them,^(W) and they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

²⁸ Joshua son of Nun,^(X) who had been Moses’ aide^(Y) since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”^(Z)

²⁹ But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets^(AA) and that the Lord would put his Spirit^(AB) on them!”^(AC)

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.^{(A) 15} And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves^(B) but for him who died for them^(C) and was raised again.

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly^(D) point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,^(E) the new creation^(F) has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!^{(G) 18} All this is from God,^(H) who reconciled us to himself through Christ^(I) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.^(J) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,^(K) as though God were making his appeal through us.^(L) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.^{(M) 21} God made him who had no sin^(N) to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.^(O)

6 As God’s co-workers^(P) we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.^{(Q) 2} For he says,

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Paul’s Hardships

³ We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,^(S) so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴ Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵ in beatings, imprisonments^(T) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;^{(U) 6} in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit^(V) and in sincere love;^{(W) 7} in truthful speech^(X) and in the power of God;^(Y) with weapons of righteousness^(Z) in the right hand and in the left; ⁸ through glory and dishonor,^(AA) bad report^(AB) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;^{(AC) 9} known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,^(AD) and yet we live on;^(AE) beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;^(AF) poor, yet making many rich;^(AG) having nothing,^(AH) and yet possessing everything.^(AI)

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves^(A) again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation^(B) to you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.^{(C) 3} You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God,^(D) not on tablets of stone^(E) but on tablets of human hearts.^(F)

⁴ Such confidence^(G) we have through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves^(H) to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.^{(I) 6} He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant^(J)—not of the letter^(K) but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.^(L)

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

⁷ Now if the ministry that brought death,^(M) which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory,^(N) transitory though it was, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹ If the ministry that brought condemnation^(O) was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!^{(P) 10} For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹ And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

¹² Therefore, since we have such a hope,^(Q) we are very bold.^{(R) 13} We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face^(S) to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were made dull,^(T) for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant^(U) is read.^(V) It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. ¹⁶ But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,^(W) the veil is taken away.^{(X) 17} Now the Lord is the Spirit,^(Y) and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.^{(Z) 18} And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a](AA) the Lord’s glory,^(AB) are being transformed into his image^(AC) with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.