2 Corinthians 3

1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some do, letters of commendation to you, or from you? [a] 2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all people — 3 made plain that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets — hearts of flesh. [b]

4 And we have such confidence through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are fit from ourselves to count anything as from ourselves, but our fitness is from God, [c] 6 who also made us fit as servants of a new covenant — not of letter but of Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. [d] †

7 But if the service of death, in letters carved on stones, came about in glory — so that the children of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was being done away with — [f] 8 how will the service of the Spirit not much more be in glory? 9 For if there was glory in the service of condemnation, much more does the service of righteousness overflow in glory. [i] 10 For indeed what has been glorified has not been glorified, in this respect, because of the surpassing glory. [j] 11 For if what is being done away with came through glory, much more is what remains in glory. [k]

12 Having such a hope, then, we use much boldness, [l] 13 and not as Moses used to put a veil over his face, so that the children of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was being done away with. [m] 14 But their thoughts were hardened. For to this present day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant, not unveiled, because it is done away with in Christ; 15 but to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

16 And whenever one turns back to the Lord, the veil is taken off. [n] 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [o] 18 And we all, with unveiled face, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. [p]