2 Corinthians 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

A New Covenant on Hearts of Flesh

3 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 not with ink but with the Ruach of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.[a]

4 Such is the confidence we have through Messiah toward God— 5 not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. 6 He also made us competent as servants of a new covenant[b]—not of the letter, but of the Ruach. For the letter kills, but the Ruach gives life.

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that Bnei-Yisrael could not look intently upon Moses’ face because of its glory[c]—although it was passing away— 8 how will the ministry of the Ruach not be even more glorious? 9 For if there is glory in the ministry of condemnation,[d] the ministry of righteousness overflows even more in glory. 10 For even what was glorious is not glorious in comparison to the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what is passing away is glorious, much more what remains is glorious.

12 Therefore, having such a hope, we act with great boldness. 13 We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face in order for Bnei-Yisrael not to look intently upon the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were hardened. For up to this very day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the ancient covenant, since in Messiah it is passing away. 15 But to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. [e] 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Ruach Adonai is, there is freedom. [f] 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory—just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 3:3 cf. Exod. 24:12; 31:18; 32:15-16; Prov. 3:3; 7:3; Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 11:19; 36:26.
  2. 2 Corinthians 3:6 cf. Jer. 31:31.
  3. 2 Corinthians 3:7 Lit. the glory of his face; cf. Exod. 33:18-19; 34:5-6, 29-35.
  4. 2 Corinthians 3:9 cf. Deut. 27:26.
  5. 2 Corinthians 3:17 cf. Exod. 34:34.
  6. 2 Corinthians 3:18 cf. Isa. 61:1.

You Might Also Like:

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...
Read More

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 ...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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 ...
Read More

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...
Read More

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 ...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More