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2 Corinthians 3 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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Ministers of a New Covenant

3 Are we beginning to (A)commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, (B)letters of commendation to you or from you? 2 (C)You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all people, 3 revealing yourselves, that you are a letter of Christ, [a](D)delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of (E)the living God, not on (F)tablets of stone but on (G)tablets of [b](H)human hearts.

4 Such is the (I)confidence we have toward God through Christ. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves so as to consider anything as having come from ourselves, but (J)our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as (K)servants of a (L)new covenant, not of (M)the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but (N)the Spirit gives life.

7 But if the (O)ministry of death, engraved (P)in letters on stones, came [c]with glory (Q)so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9 For if (R)the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the (S)ministry of righteousness excel in glory. 10 For indeed what had glory in this case has no glory, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if that which fades away was [d]with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

12 (T)Therefore, having such a hope, (U)we use great boldness in our speech, 13 and we are not like Moses, (V)who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were (W)hardened; for until this very day at the (X)reading of (Y)the old covenant the same veil [e]remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts; 16 (Z)but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where (AA)the Spirit of the Lord is, (AB)there is freedom. 18 But we all, with unveiled faces, (AC)looking as in a mirror at the (AD)glory of the Lord, are being (AE)transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from (AF)the Lord, the Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 3:3 Lit served
  2. 2 Corinthians 3:3 Lit hearts of flesh
  3. 2 Corinthians 3:7 Or in glory
  4. 2 Corinthians 3:11 Lit through
  5. 2 Corinthians 3:14 Or remains, it not being revealed that it is done away in Christ

Cross references

  1. 2 Corinthians 3:1 : 2 Cor 5:12; 10:12, 18; 12:11
  2. 2 Corinthians 3:1 : Acts 18:27; 1 Cor 16:3
  3. 2 Corinthians 3:2 : 1 Cor 9:2
  4. 2 Corinthians 3:3 : 2 Cor 3:6
  5. 2 Corinthians 3:3 : Matt 16:16
  6. 2 Corinthians 3:3 : Ex 24:12; 31:18; 32:15f; 2 Cor 3:7
  7. 2 Corinthians 3:3 : Prov 3:3; 7:3; Jer 17:1
  8. 2 Corinthians 3:3 : Jer 31:33; Ezek 11:19; 36:26
  9. 2 Corinthians 3:4 : Eph 3:12
  10. 2 Corinthians 3:5 : 1 Cor 15:10
  11. 2 Corinthians 3:6 : 1 Cor 3:5
  12. 2 Corinthians 3:6 : Jer 31:31; Luke 22:20
  13. 2 Corinthians 3:6 : Rom 2:29
  14. 2 Corinthians 3:6 : John 6:63; Rom 7:6
  15. 2 Corinthians 3:7 : Rom 4:15; 5:20; 7:5f; 2 Cor 3:9; Gal 3:10, 21f
  16. 2 Corinthians 3:7 : Ex 24:12; 31:18; 32:15f; 2 Cor 3:3
  17. 2 Corinthians 3:7 : Ex 34:29-35; 2 Cor 3:13
  18. 2 Corinthians 3:9 : Deut 27:26; 2 Cor 3:7; Heb 12:18-21
  19. 2 Corinthians 3:9 : Rom 1:17; 3:21f
  20. 2 Corinthians 3:12 : 2 Cor 7:4
  21. 2 Corinthians 3:12 : Acts 4:13, 29; 2 Cor 7:4; Eph 6:19; 1 Thess 2:2
  22. 2 Corinthians 3:13 : Ex 34:33-35; 2 Cor 3:7
  23. 2 Corinthians 3:14 : Rom 11:7; 2 Cor 4:4
  24. 2 Corinthians 3:14 : Acts 13:15
  25. 2 Corinthians 3:14 : 2 Cor 3:6
  26. 2 Corinthians 3:16 : Ex 34:34; Rom 11:23
  27. 2 Corinthians 3:17 : Is 61:1f; Gal 4:6
  28. 2 Corinthians 3:17 : John 8:32; Gal 5:1, 13
  29. 2 Corinthians 3:18 : 1 Cor 13:12
  30. 2 Corinthians 3:18 : John 17:22, 24; 2 Cor 4:4, 6
  31. 2 Corinthians 3:18 : Rom 8:29
  32. 2 Corinthians 3:18 : 2 Cor 3:17

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2 Corinthians 3 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

3 Do we begin again to recommend ourselves, except we need, as some, letters of recommendation unto you, or from you? 2 our letter ye are, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men, 3 manifested that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Sp...
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2 Corinthians 3 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 Begin we therefore again to praise us selves? or whether we need, as some men, epistles of praising to you, or of you? [Begin we again to commend, or praise, ourselves? or whether we need, as some, praising letters to you, or of you?] 2 Ye be our epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and ...
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2 Corinthians 3 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

3 Do you think we are starting again to tell how good we are? Do we need letters to tell about us, as some teachers do? We do not need letters to you or from you to praise us. 2 You yourselves are our letter. This letter has been written in our hearts. All people can read it and understand it. 3 All...
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2 Corinthians 3 - World English Bible (WEB)

3 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you? 2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men, 3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of...
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2 Corinthians 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 Are we back to page one? Do we need to gather some recommendations to prove our validity to you? Or do we need to take your letter of commendation to others to gain credibility? 2 You are our letter, every word burned onto our[a] hearts to be read by everyone. 3 You are the living letter of the ...
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2 Corinthians 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

A New Covenant on Hearts of Flesh3 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 letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 It is clear that you are a letter from Messiah delivered by us—written...
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2 Corinthians 3 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Ministers of the New Covenant3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on your[a] hearts, to be known and read by all men; 3 and you show that you are a letter ...
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2 Corinthians 3 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

3 Do we begin to praise ourselves again? Or do we need, as some others, letters of recommendation to you, or of recommendation from you? 2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, which is understood and read by all mankind; 3 in that you appear to be the letter of Christ, ministered by us, and wr...
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2 Corinthians 3 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

The Letter and the Spirit3 So: we’re starting to ‘recommend ourselves’ again, are we? Or perhaps we need – as some do – official references to give to you? Or perhaps even to get from you? 2 You are our official reference! It’s written on our hearts! Everybody can know it and read it! 3 It’s quite...
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2 Corinthians 3 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Ministers of the New Covenant3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we?(A)2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, 3 and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepare...
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2 Corinthians 3 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

Paul praises the preaching of the gospel above the preaching of the law. 3 We begin to praise ourselves again. Do we, like some others, need letters of recommendation to you? or letters of recommendation from you? 2 You are our letter written in our hearts, which is understood and read by all peopl...
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2 Corinthians 3 - New Living Translation (NLT)

3 Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! 2 The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our[a] hearts; everyo...
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2 Corinthians 3 - New Life Version (NLV)

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2 Corinthians 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

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