11 translations · Greek

2 Corinthians 3:6

who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

World English Bible

2 Corinthians 3:6 in 11 translations

WEB World English Bible
who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
KJV King James Version
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
BSB Berean Standard Bible
And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
ASV American Standard Version
who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
LSV Literal Standard Version
who also made us sufficient [to be] servants of the New Covenant, not of letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, and the Spirit makes alive.
FBV Free Bible Version
He also gave us the ability to be ministers of a new agreement, based not on the letter of the law, but on the spirit. The letter of the law kills, but the spirit gives life.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
who also made us sufficient [to be] ministrants of a new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit; for the letter doth kill, and the spirit doth make alive.
DBY Darby Translation
who has also made us competent, [as] ministers of [the] new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens.
WBT Webster’s Bible
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
WEBC World English Bible (Catholic)
who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
DRA Douay-Rheims 1899
Who also hath made us fit ministers of the new testament, not in the letter, but in the spirit. For the letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth.

The Greek words

Each word of the Greek text in order, with its transliteration, the Berean Standard Bible’s English for it, and its Strong’s number and short definition.

Word Transliteration English (BSB) Strong’s
ὃς hos He G3739 ὅς which
καὶ kai And G2532 καί and
ἱκάνωσεν hikanōsen has qualified G2427 ἱκανόω to qualify
ἡμᾶς hēmas us G1473 ἐγώ I/we
διακόνους diakonous [as] ministers G1249 διάκονος servant
καινῆς kainēs of a new G2537 καινός new
διαθήκης diathēkēs covenant G1242 διαθήκη covenant
οὐ ou not G3756 οὐ no
γράμματος grammatos of [the] letter G1121 γράμμα something written
ἀλλὰ alla but G235 ἀλλά but
πνεύματος pneumatos of [the] Spirit G4151 πνεῦμα spirit/breath: spirit
τὸ to the G3588 ὁ the/this/who
γὰρ gar for G1063 γάρ for
γράμμα gramma letter G1121 γράμμα something written
ἀποκτέννει apoktennei kills G615 ἀποκτείνω to kill
τὸ to the G3588 ὁ the/this/who
δὲ de but G1161 δέ then
πνεῦμα pneuma Spirit G4151 πνεῦμα spirit/breath: spirit
ζωοποιεῖ zōopoiei gives life G2227 ζωοποιέω to make alive
  • John 6:63

    It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.

  • Romans 7:6

    But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

  • Jeremiah 31:31

    “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

  • Romans 8:2

    For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

  • Hebrews 8:6–10

    But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days come”, says the Lord, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; …

  • 1 Corinthians 15:45

    So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

  • 2 Corinthians 3:14

    But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.

  • Hebrews 12:24

    to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel.

  • Hebrews 7:22

    By so much, Jesus has become the collateral of a better covenant.

  • Romans 3:20

    Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

Cross references from OpenBible.info, CC BY 4.0, most-voted first; text from the World English Bible.

In context

4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God;

5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

6 who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face, which was passing away;

8 won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?

Read all of 2 Corinthians 3 in the World English Bible.

Edition and source notes

Each translation is shown as its source prints it, in its own verse numbering; where an edition numbers this verse differently, its own reference is given. The World English Bible, King James Version and Berean Standard Bible link to their chapter pages. Edition notes.

Literal Standard Version (2020) © Covenant Press and the Covenant Christian Coalition, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Imported from the checksum-pinned eBible.org USFX source; the extracted verse text is an adaptation shared under the same license. Free Bible Version (2018) © Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Imported from the checksum-pinned eBible.org USFX source; the extracted verse text is an adaptation shared under the same license.

The original words and their English come from the Berean Standard Bible translation tables (public domain); lemmas and short definitions from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0), with Greek definitions based on Abbott-Smith.

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