1 A re we starting to commend ourselves again? Or we do not, like some, need written credentials or letters of recommendation to you or from you, ?

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or from you?

2 y ou yourselves are our letter of recommendation (our credentials), written in your hearts, to be known (perceived, recognized) and read by everybody.

Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read of all men,

3 Y ou show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with Spirit of living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

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

4 S uch is the reliance and confidence that we have through Christ toward and with reference to God.

And such confidence have we through the Christ towards God:

5 N ot that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.

not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency of God;

6 W ho has qualified us as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant, not of the letter (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code kills, but the Spirit makes alive.

who has also made us competent, ministers of new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens.

7 N ow if the dispensation of death engraved in letters on stone, was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, that was to fade and pass away,

(But if the ministry of death, in letters, graven in stones, began with glory, so that the children of Israel could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, which is annulled;

8 W hy should not the dispensation of the Spirit '> ministry whose task it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit] be attended with much greater and more splendid glory?

how shall not rather the ministry of the Spirit subsist in glory?

9 F or if the service that condemns had glory, how infinitely more abounding in splendor and glory must be the service that makes righteous!

For if the ministry of condemnation glory, much rather the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory.

10 I ndeed, in view of this fact, what once had splendor '> the glory of the Law in the face of Moses] has come to have no splendor at all, because of the overwhelming glory that exceeds and excels it '> the glory of the Gospel in the face of Jesus Christ].

For also that glorified is not glorified in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory.

11 F or if that which was but passing and fading away came with splendor, how much more must that which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor!

For if that annulled with glory, much rather that which abides in glory.

12 S ince we have such hope (such joyful and confident expectation), we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly.

Having therefore such hope, we use much boldness:

13 N or like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing.

and not according as Moses put a veil on his own face, so that the children of Israel should not fix their eyes on the end of that annulled.

14 I n fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused; for until this present day, when the Old Testament (the old covenant) is being read, that same veil still lies, not being lifted that in Christ it is made void and done away.

But their thoughts have been darkened, for unto this day the same veil remains in reading the old covenant, unremoved, which in Christ is annulled.

15 Y es, down to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their minds and hearts.

But unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil lies upon their heart.

16 B ut whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away.

But when it shall turn to Lord, the veil is taken away.)

17 N ow the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom).

Now the Lord is the Spirit, but where the Spirit of Lord liberty.

18 A nd all of us, as with unveiled face, continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; from the Lord the Spirit.

But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by Lord Spirit.