2 Corinthians 3

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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?	1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
2 You are our Epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and read by all men.	2 You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all,
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.	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 we have such faith, through Christ, toward God.	4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward 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.	5 Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God,
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.	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, 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,	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 could the ministration of the Spirit not be in greater glory?	8 how much more will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation is with glory, so much more is the ministration of justice abundant in glory.	9 For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory.
10 And neither was it glorified by means of an excellent glory, though it was made illustrious in its own way.	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 even what was temporary has its glory, then what is lasting has an even greater glory.	11 For if what was going to fade was glorious, how much more will what endures be glorious.
12 Therefore, having such a hope, we act with much confidence,	12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we act very boldly
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,	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 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).	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 until today, when Moses is read, a veil is still set over their hearts.	15 To this day, in fact, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts,
16 But when they will have been converted to the Lord, then the veil shall be taken away.	16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed.
17 Now the Spirit is Lord. And wherever 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 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.	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.