2COR 3:3 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. This view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT making known that you are a letter of Christ having been administered by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of hearts of flesh.

UST Everyone knows that you are like a note that the Messiah wrote and that we delivered. The Messiah did not write this note on stone slabs using dye. Rather, it is as if he wrote it inside you by working through the Holy Spirit, who is the only real God.

BSB It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

BLB being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, having been ministered to by us, having been inscribed not in ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.

AICNT being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, ministered 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.

OEB All can see that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, a letter written, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.

WEB being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

WMB being revealed that you are a letter of Messiah, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

NET revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.

LSV revealed that you are a letter of Christ ministered by us, not written with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in the tablets of stone, but in fleshy tablets of the heart,

FBV You demonstrate that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us; not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not written on stone slabs but in our living experience as human beings.

TCNT 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 stone tablets, but on tablets of human hearts.

T4T You are [MET] like a letter that Christ himself has written that says good things about my work for God in your lives. You show people by the way you now conduct your lives that God has changed your lives as a result of my work among you. People did not find out about you by reading a letter that was written to them on paper with pen and ink. Instead, they saw how the Spirit of the all-powerful God has changed your lives. Nor did people find out about you by reading a letter that was carved on stone slabs like the stone slabs that God gave to Moses. Instead, it was the change that God’s Spirit made in your lives [MET] that they saw.

LEB revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.

BBE For you are clearly a letter of Christ, the fruit of our work, recorded not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in stone, but in hearts of flesh.

MOF No MOF 2COR book available

ASV being made manifest that ye are an 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 tables that are hearts of flesh.

DRA Being manifested, that you are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart.

YLT manifested that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in the tablets of stone, but in fleshy tablets of the heart,

DBY being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but [the] Spirit of [the] living [fn]God; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of [the] heart.

3.3 Elohim

RV being made manifest that ye are an 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 tables that are hearts of flesh.

WBS 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 on tables of stone, but on fleshly tables of the heart.

KJB 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.
(Forasmuch as ye/you_all 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. )

BB Forasmuche as ye declare that ye are the epistle of Christ ministred by vs, and written, not with ynke, but with the spirite of the lyuyng God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.
(Forasmuche as ye/you_all declare that ye/you_all are the epistle of Christ ministered by us, and written, not with ynke, but with the spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.)

GNV In that yee are manifest, to be the Epistle of Christ, ministred by vs, and written, not with yncke, but with the Spirite of the liuing God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.
(In that ye/you_all are manifest, to be the Epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written, not with yncke, but with the Spirite of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. )

CB in that ye are knowne, how that ye are ye epistle of Christ, mynistred by vs, and wrytte, not with ynke, but with the sprete of the lyuynge God: not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the hert.
(in that ye/you_all are known, how that ye/you_all are ye/you_all epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written, not with ynke, but with the spirit of the living God: not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the hert.)

TNT in that ye are knowen how that ye are the pistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with ynke: but with the sprete of the livynge God not in tables of stone but in flesshly tables of the herte.
(in that ye/you_all are known how that ye/you_all are the pistle of Christ ministered by us and written not with ynke: but with the spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in flesshly tables of the heart. )

WYC and maad opyn, for ye ben the pistle of Crist mynystrid of vs, and writun, not with enke, but bi the spirit of the lyuynge God; not in stony tablis, but in fleischli tablis of herte.
(and made opyn, for ye/you_all been the pistle of Christ mynystrid of us, and written, not with enke, but by the spirit of the living God; not in stony tablis, but in fleshly tablis of heart.)

LUT die ihr offenbar worden seid, daß ihr ein Brief Christi seid, durch unser Predigtamt zubereitet und durch uns geschrieben, nicht mit Tinte, sondern mit dem Geist des lebendigen Gottes, nicht in steinerne Tafeln, sondern in fleischerne Tafeln des Herzens.
(die her offenbar worden seid, that her a Brief Christi seid, through unser Predigtamt zubereitet and through uns written, not with Tinte, rather with to_him spirit the lifedigen God’s, not in steinerne Tafeln, rather in fleischerne Tafeln the Herzens.)

CLV manifestati quod epistola estis Christi, ministrata a nobis, et scripta non atramento, sed Spiritu Dei vivi: non in tabulis lapideis, sed in tabulis cordis carnalibus.[fn]
(manifestati that epistola estis Christi, ministrata a nobis, and scripta not/no atramento, but Spiritu God vivi: not/no in tabulis lapideis, but in tabulis cordis carnalibus.)

3.3 Scripta non. Estis repræsentatio Christi et mea, hoc autem est firmiter scriptum in cordibus nostris, non delebiliter, ut quod atramento scribitur: vel non tetris notis hæreticæ pravitatis qui hæreses interserunt. Non in tabulis. Lapis non signat nisi durissimam voluntatem, et adversus Deum inflexibilem. Carnalibus. Id est, sensum habentibus, non lapideis sine sensu.

3.3 Scripta non. Estis repræsentatio Christi and mea, hoc however it_is firmiter scriptum in cordibus nostris, not/no delebiliter, as that atramento scribitur: or not/no tetris notis hæreticæ pravitatis who hæreses interserunt. Non in tabulis. Lapis not/no signat nisi durissimam voluntatem, and adversus God inflexibilem. Carnalibus. Id it_is, sensum habentibus, not/no lapideis without sensu.

UGNT φανερούμενοι ὅτι ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ, διακονηθεῖσα ὑφ’ ἡμῶν, ἐνγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι, ἀλλὰ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις, ἀλλ’ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις.
(faneroumenoi hoti este epistolaʸ Ⱪristou, diakonaʸtheisa huf’ haʸmōn, engegrammenaʸ ou melani, alla Pneumati Theou zōntos, ouk en plaxin lithinais, all’ en plaxin kardiais sarkinais.)

SBL-GNT φανερούμενοι ὅτι ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ διακονηθεῖσα ὑφʼ ἡμῶν, ἐγγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι ἀλλὰ πνεύματι θεοῦ ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις ἀλλʼ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις.
(faneroumenoi hoti este epistolaʸ Ⱪristou diakonaʸtheisa hufʼ haʸmōn, engegrammenaʸ ou melani alla pneumati theou zōntos, ouk en plaxin lithinais allʼ en plaxin kardiais sarkinais. )

TC-GNT φανερούμενοι ὅτι ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ διακονηθεῖσα ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν, [fn]ἐγγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι, ἀλλὰ πνεύματι Θεοῦ ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶ λιθίναις, [fn]ἀλλ᾽ ἐν πλαξὶ [fn]καρδίαις σαρκίναις.
(faneroumenoi hoti este epistolaʸ Ⱪristou diakonaʸtheisa huf᾽ haʸmōn, engegrammenaʸ ou melani, alla pneumati Theou zōntos, ouk en plaxi lithinais, all᾽ en plaxi kardiais sarkinais.)

3:3 εγγεγραμμενη ¦ ενγεγραμμενη TH WH

3:3 αλλ ¦ αλλα ANT

3:3 καρδιαις ¦ καρδιας TR

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

φανερούμενοι

/being/_revealed

Here, the phrase making known could: (1) indicate that something is well-known or obvious to people. Alternate translation: “being clear” or “so it is evident” (2) state that the Corinthians show or reveal something to others. Alternate translation: “you making it clear” or “you revealing”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ, διακονηθεῖσα ὑφ’ ἡμῶν, ἐνγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι, ἀλλὰ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις, ἀλλ’ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις

˱you_all˲_are /a/_letter ˱of˲_Christ /having_been/_served by us (Some words not found in SR-GNT: φανερούμενοι ὅτι ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ διακονηθεῖσα ὑφʼ ἡμῶν ἐγγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι ἀλλὰ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ζῶντος οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις ἀλλʼ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις)

Here Paul continues to speak as if the Corinthians were a letter. Here, he states that this letter was written by Christ and administered by Paul and his fellow workers. He means that Christ is the one who enabled the Corinthians to believe, and Christ worked through Paul and his fellow workers to do that. Paul then contrasts a letter written with ink and on tablets of stone with a letter written by the power of the Spirit and on hearts of flesh. What he means by this is that the letter is the Corinthians, not some written document, and that the message is communicated by the Spirit, not by letters written with ink. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea with a simile or in some other natural way. Alternate translation: “you are like a letter of Christ having been administered by us, not written with ink but as if with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but as if on tablets of hearts of flesh” or “you are a message from Christ having been administered by us, not communicated by ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not presented on tablets of stone but on tablets of hearts of flesh”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ

/a/_letter ˱of˲_Christ

Here Paul uses the possessive form to indicate that the letter is from or written by Christ. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: “a letter from Christ” or “a letter written by Christ”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

διακονηθεῖσα ὑφ’ ἡμῶν

/having_been/_served by us

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “that we have administered”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

διακονηθεῖσα ὑφ’ ἡμῶν

/having_been/_served by us

Here, the phrase having been administered by us could indicate that: (1) “we” delivered the letter. Alternate translation: “having been delivered by us” or “having been sent by us” (2) “we” helped Christ compose the letter. Alternate translation: “having been composed with our help” or “that we wrote down”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἡμῶν

Here, just as in 3:1–2, the word us does not include the Corinthians. It could refer to: (1) Paul and those who proclaim the gospel with him. Alternate translation: “us who preach the gospel” (2) just Paul. Alternate translation: “me”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

ἐνγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι, ἀλλὰ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις, ἀλλ’ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: φανερούμενοι ὅτι ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ διακονηθεῖσα ὑφʼ ἡμῶν ἐγγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι ἀλλὰ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ζῶντος οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις ἀλλʼ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις)

If your language would not put the negative statements before the positive statements, you could reverse them. Alternate translation: “written with the Spirit of the living God, not with ink, on tablets of hearts of flesh, not on tablets of stone”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἀλλὰ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις, ἀλλ’ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις

but ˱with˲_/the/_Spirit ˱of˲_God /the/_living not on tablets stone but on tablets ˱of˲_hearts fleshy

These phrases leave out some words that many languages might need to be complete. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply the word written from earlier in the sentence in some or all of the phrases. Alternate translation: “but written with the Spirit of the living God, not written on tablets of stone but written on tablets of hearts of flesh” or “but with the Spirit of the living God, not written on tablets of stone but on tablets of hearts of flesh”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐνγεγραμμένη οὐ

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Paul implies that Christ did it. Alternate translation: “which Christ wrote not”

Note 10 topic: translate-unknown

μέλανι

˱in˲_ink

Here, the word ink refers to colored liquid that people in Paul’s culture used to write letters and words. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use whatever term naturally refers to what people use to write letters and words. Alternate translation: “with a pen”

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

Θεοῦ ζῶντος

˱of˲_God /the/_living

Here, the phrase living God identifies God as the one who “lives” and possibly as the one who gives life. The primary point is that God actually lives, unlike inanimate idols and other things that people may call gods. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that emphasizes that God really lives. Alternate translation: “of the God who lives” or “of the true God”

Note 12 topic: translate-unknown

(Occurrence -1) ἐν πλαξὶν

Here, the word tablets refers to thin, flat pieces of stone on which people would write words, especially important words. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that refers to the surface on which people write something important. Paul may be referring here to the tablets on which Moses wrote God’s commandments (See: Exodus 34:1–4), so, if possible, use a word that could refer to those tablets. Alternate translation: “on flat pieces … on flat pieces” or “on plaques … on plaques”

Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

πλαξὶν λιθίναις

tablets stone

Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe tablets that are made out of stone. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: “stone tablets”

Note 14 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις

tablets tablets ˱of˲_hearts fleshy

Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe tablets that refer to hearts that are made of flesh. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: “tablets that are fleshly hearts” or “tablets that are hearts made of flesh”

Note 15 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

καρδίαις σαρκίναις

˱of˲_hearts fleshy

In the Paul’s culture, hearts are the places where humans think and plan. Here Paul states that these hearts are made of flesh, meaning that they are live, functional body parts. If it would be helpful in your language, you could refer to the place where humans think in your culture or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: “of living people” or “of what we think and do”

Parallel 2COR 3:3