^3:7But if the ministry that produced death—carved in letters on stone tablets¹⁰—came with glory, so that the Israelites¹¹ could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face¹² (a glory¹³ which was made ineffective),¹⁴^3:8how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be?¹⁵^3:9For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation,¹⁶ how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness¹⁷ excel¹⁸ in glory! ^3:10For indeed, what had been glorious now¹⁹ has no glory because of the tremendously greater glory of what replaced it.²⁰^3:11For if what was made ineffective²¹ came with²² glory, how much more has what remains²³ come in glory!

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Footnotes

10 Grk “on stones”; but since this is clearly an allusion to the tablets of the Decalogue (see 2 Cor 3:3) the word “tablets” was supplied in the translation to make the connection clear.
11 Grk “so that the sons of Israel.”
12 The glory of his face. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the tablets of the Decalogue, the people were afraid to approach him because his face was so radiant (Exod 34:29–30).
13 The words “a glory” are not in the Greek text, but the reference to “glory” has been repeated from the previous clause for clarity.
14 Or “which was transitory.” Traditionally this phrase is translated as “which was fading away.” The verb καταργέω in the corpus Paulinum uniformly has the meaning “to render inoperative, ineffective”; the same nuance is appropriate here. The glory of Moses’ face was rendered ineffective by the veil Moses wore. For discussion of the meaning of this verb in this context, see S. J. Hafemann, Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel ( 81), 301–13. A similar translation has been adopted in the two other occurrences of the verb in this paragraph in vv. 11 and 13.
15 Grk “how will not rather the ministry of the Spirit be with glory?”
16 Grk “the ministry of condemnation”; translated as an objective genitive, “the ministry that produced condemnation.”
17 Grk “the ministry of righteousness”; translated as an objective genitive, “the ministry that produces righteousness.”
18 Traditionally, “abound.”
19 Grk “in this case.”
20 The words “of what replaced it” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to clarify the meaning.
21 Or “what was fading away.” See note on “which was made ineffective” in v. .
22 Or “through” (διά, dia).
23 Or “what is permanent.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Now if the ministry that brought death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the Israelites were not able to gaze steadily at Moses’s face because of its glory, which was set aside, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry that brought condemnation had glory, the ministry that brings righteousness overflows with even more glory. In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was set aside was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

NLTNew Living Translation

The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

But if the ministry of death in letters carved on stone came with glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look intently into the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was transitory, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more with glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, by much more will the ministry of righteousness overflow with glory. For indeed what had been glorified has not been glorified in this case, on account of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was transitory came with glory, by much more what remains is with glory.

KJV 1900King James Version

But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

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