2 Corinthians 3

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?	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?
2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on your hearts, to be known and read by all men;	2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 and you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.	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.
4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.	4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God,	5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life.	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.
7 Now if the dispensation of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such splendor that the Israelites could not look at Moses' face because of its brightness, fading as this was,	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:
8 will not the dispensation of the Spirit be attended with greater splendor?	8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if there was splendor in the dispensation of condemnation, the dispensation of righteousness must far exceed it in splendor.	9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 Indeed, in this case, what once had splendor has come to have no splendor at all, because of the splendor that surpasses it.	10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if what faded away came with splendor, what is permanent must have much more splendor.	11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,	12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13 not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not see the end of the fading splendor.	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:
14 But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.	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.
15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their minds;	15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16 but when a man turns to the Lord the veil is removed.	16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail 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 Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.	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.