2 Corinthians 3

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you?	1 Must we begin again to commend ourselves? Or are we in need (as some are) of epistles of commendation for you, or from you?
2 You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all,	2 You are our Epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and read by all men.
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.	3 It has been made manifest that you are the Epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written down, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, and not on tablets of stone, but on the fleshly tablets of the heart.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.	4 And we have such faith, through Christ, toward God.
5 Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God,	5 It is not that we are adequate to think anything of ourselves, as if anything was from us. But our adequacy is from God.
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.	6 And he has made us suitable ministers of the New Testament, not in the letter, but in the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
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,	7 But if the ministration of death, engraved with letters upon stones, was in glory, (so much so that the sons of Israel were not able to gaze intently upon the face of Moses, because of the glory of his countenance) even though this ministration was ineffective,
8 how much more will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious?	8 how could the ministration of the Spirit not be in greater glory?
9 For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory.	9 For if the ministration of condemnation is with glory, so much more is the ministration of justice abundant in glory.
10 Indeed, what was endowed with glory has come to have no glory in this respect because of the glory that surpasses it.	10 And neither was it glorified by means of an excellent glory, though it was made illustrious in its own way.
11 For if what was going to fade was glorious, how much more will what endures be glorious.	11 For if even what was temporary has its glory, then what is lasting has an even greater glory.
12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we act very boldly	12 Therefore, having such a hope, we act with much confidence,
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.	13 and not as Moses did, in placing a veil over his face, so that the sons of Israel would not gaze intently at his face. This was ineffective,
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.	14 for their minds were obtuse. And, even until this present day, the very same veil, in the readings from the Old Testament, remains not taken away (though, in Christ, it is taken away).
15 To this day, in fact, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts,	15 But even until today, when Moses is read, a veil is still set over their hearts.
16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed.	16 But when they will have been converted to the Lord, then the veil shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.	17 Now the Spirit is Lord. And wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
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.	18 Yet truly, all of us, as we gaze upon the unveiled glory of the face of the Lord, are transfigured into the same image, from one glory to another. And this is done by the Spirit of the Lord.