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, ?

أيَبدُو هَذا مُباهاةً مِنّا بِأنفُسِنا؟ أمْ لَعَلَّنا نَحتاجُ إلَى رَسائِلِ تَوصِيَةٍ إلَيكُمْ أوْ مِنكُمْ، كَما يَحتاجُ بَعضُهُمْ؟

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

إنَّما أنتُمْ رِسالَةُ تَوصِيَتِنا، مَكتُوبَةٌ فِي قُلُوبِنا، مَعرُوفَةٌ وَمَقرُوءَةٌ مِنْ جَمِيعِ النّاسِ.

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.

وَأنتُمْ تُظهِرُونَ أنَّكُمْ رِسالَةٌ كَتَبَها المَسِيحُ كَثَمَرٍ لِخِدمَتِنا. أنتُمْ رِسالَةٌ مَكتُوبَةٌ لا بِحِبرٍ، بَلْ بِرُوحِ اللهِ الحَيِّ. أنتُمْ رِسالَةٌ مَكتُوبَةٌ لا عَلَى ألواحٍ حَجَرِيَّةٍ، بَلْ عَلَى ألواحٍ مِنْ قُلُوبٍ بَشَرِيَّةٍ.

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

وَلَنا ثِقَةٌ بِأنْ نَقُولَ هَذا أمامَ اللهِ لأنَّنا فِي المَسِيحِ.

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.

وَلا يَعنِي هَذا أنَّنا نَدَّعِي أنَّنا قادِرُونَ بِأنفُسِنا عَلَى عَمَلِ أيِّ شَيءٍ صالِحٍ، بَلْ إنَّ كَفاءَتُنا هِيَ مِنَ اللهِ.

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.

فَهُوَ الَّذِي أهَّلَنا أيضاً لِنَكونَ خُدّامَ هَذا العَهْدَ الجَديدَ، لا بِالحَرفِ بَلْ بِالرُّوحِ. فَالشَّرِيعَةُ المَكتُوبَةُ تَقتُلُ، أمّا الرُّوحُ فَيُعطِي حَياةً. المجد الأعظم

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,

لَكِنْ حَتَّى الخِدمَةُ الَّتِي كانَتْ مَقرُونَةً بِالمَوْتِ، كانَ لَها بَهاءٌ. وَهِيَ خِدمَةُ الشَّرِيعَةِ المَنقُوشَةِ بِحُرُوفٍ عَلَى حِجارَةٍ. فَلَمْ يَستَطِعْ بَنُو إسرائِيلَ أنْ يَنظُرُوا فِي وَجهِ مُوسَى بِسَبَبِ ذَلِكَ البَهاءِ، مَعَ أنَّهُ كانَ بَهاءً زائِلاً.

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?

أفَلا يَكُونُ لِلخِدمَةِ المَقرُونَةِ بِالرُّوحِ بَهاءٌ أعظَمُ؟

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!

وَإنْ كانَ لِلخِدمَةِ المَقرُونَةِ بِالدَّينُونَةِ بَهاؤُها، أفَلا يَكُونُ لِلخِدمَةِ المَقرُونَةِ بِالبِرِّ بَهاءٌ أعظَمُ؟

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].

فَما بَدا فِي السّابِقِ ذا بَهاءٍ، فَقَدَ كُلَّ بَهاءٍ بِالمُقارَنَةِ مَعَ هَذا البَهاءِ الفائِقِ.

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!

فَإنْ كانَتْ تِلكَ الخِدمَةُ المَحكُومَةُ بِالزَّوالِ مَصحُوبَةً بِالبَهاءِ، أفَلا يَكُونُ لِتِلكَ الخِدمَةِ الباقِيَةِ إلَى الأبَدِ بَهاءٌ أعظَمُ؟

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

فَلِأنَّ لَنا هَذا الرَّجاءَ، نَتَكَلَّمُ بِجُرأةٍ أعظَمَ.

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.

وَنَحنُ لَسنا كَمُوسَى الَّذِي كانَ يُغَطِّي وَجهَهُ بِلِثامٍ لِئَلّا يَرَى بَنُو إسرائِيلَ زَوالَ البَهاءِ.

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.

لَكِنَّ أذهانَهُمْ عَمِيَتْ. إذْ ما يَزالُ اللِّثامُ نَفسُهُ مَوضُوعاً إلَى يَومِنا هَذا عِندَما يَقرَأُونَ ما كَتَبَهُ مُوسَى. لَمْ يُرفَعْ هَذا اللِّثامُ بَعدُ، لِأنَّهُ لا يُرفَعُ إلّا بِالمَسِيحِ.

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

لَكِنْ ما يَزالُ هُناكَ لِثامٌ فَوقَ أذهانِهِمْ إلَى هَذا اليَومِ كُلَّما قُرِئَتْ شَرِيعَةُ مُوسَى.

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

وَكُلَّما رَجِعَ أحَدُهُمْ إلَى الرَّبِّ، يُرفَعُ اللِّثامُ.

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

وَالرَّبُّ هُوَ الرُّوحُ. وَحَيثُ رُوحُ الرَّبِّ، هُناكَ حُرِّيَّةٌ.

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.

فَنَحنُ جَمِيعاً نَعكِسُ بَهاءَ الرَّبِّ بِوُجُوهٍ مَكشُوفَةٍ، فَنَتَغَيَّرَ باستِمرارٍ وَنُصبِحَ مِثلَهُ، آخِذِينَ بَهاءً مُتَزايِداً. وَهَذا التَغييرُ مِنَ الرَّبِّ، أيِ الرُّوحِ.