2 Corinthians 3

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?	1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:	2 You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all,
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.	3 shown to be a letter of Christ administered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:	4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;	5 Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God,
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.	6 who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:	7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, was so glorious that the Israelites could not look intently at the face of Moses because of its glory that was going to fade,
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?	8 how much more will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.	9 For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.	10 Indeed, what was endowed with glory has come to have no glory in this respect because of the glory that surpasses it.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.	11 For if what was going to fade was glorious, how much more will what endures be glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:	12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we act very boldly
13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:	13 and not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not look intently at the cessation of what was fading.
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.	14 Rather, their thoughts were rendered dull, for to this present day the same veil remains unlifted when they read the old covenant, because through Christ it is taken away.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.	15 To this day, in fact, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts,
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.	16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.	17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.	18 All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit.