2 Corinthians 3 - Common English Bible (CEB)

3 Are we starting to commend ourselves again? We don’t need letters of introduction to you or from you like other people, do we? 2 You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are Christ’s letter, delivered by us. You weren’t written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. You weren’t written on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4 This is the confidence that we have through Christ in the presence of God. 5 It isn’t that we ourselves are qualified to claim that anything came from us. No, our qualification is from God. 6 He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not based on what is written but on the Spirit, because what is written kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Ministers of the new covenant

7 The ministry that brought death was carved in letters on stone tablets. It came with such glory that the Israelites couldn’t look for long at Moses’ face because his face was shining with glory, even though it was a fading glory. 8 Won’t the ministry of the Spirit be much more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness? 10 In fact, what was glorious isn’t glorious now, because of the glory that is brighter. 11 If the glory that fades away was glorious, how much more glorious is the one that lasts!

12 So, since we have such a hope, we act with great confidence. 13 We aren’t like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites couldn’t watch the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. Right up to the present day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. The veil is not removed because it is taken away by Christ. 15 Even today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But whenever someone turns back to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. 18 All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror. We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

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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)

The Old and the New Way3 Are we making it sound as if we think we are so important? Other people write letters about themselves. Do we need to write such a letter to you? 2 You are our letter. You are written in our hearts. You are known and read by all men. 3 You are as a letter from Christ writt...
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2 Corinthians 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Christ’s Epistle(A)3 Do (B)we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, (C)epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2 (D)You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, (E)ministered by...
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