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

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you?

2 إ نَّما أنتُمْ رِسالَةُ تَوصِيَتِنا، مَكتُوبَةٌ فِي قُلُوبِنا، مَعرُوفَةٌ وَمَقرُوءَةٌ مِنْ جَمِيعِ النّاسِ.

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

3 و َأنتُمْ 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.

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.

4 و َلَنا ثِقَةٌ بِأنْ نَقُولَ هَذا أمامَ اللهِ لأنَّنا فِي المَسِيحِ.

And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward:

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

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

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

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.

7 ل َكِنْ 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.

But if the ministration of death, written, and engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which glory was passing away:

8 أ فَلا يَكُونُ لِلخِدمَةِ المَقرُونَةِ بِالرُّوحِ بَهاءٌ أعظَمُ؟

how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory?

9 و َإنْ كانَ لِلخِدمَةِ المَقرُونَةِ بِالدَّينُونَةِ بَهاؤُها، أفَلا يَكُونُ لِلخِدمَةِ المَقرُونَةِ بِالبِرِّ بَهاءٌ أعظَمُ؟

For if the ministration of condemnation hath glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 ف َما بَدا فِي السّابِقِ ذا بَهاءٍ، فَقَدَ كُلَّ بَهاءٍ بِالمُقارَنَةِ مَعَ هَذا البَهاءِ الفائِقِ.

For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth.

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

For if that which passeth away was with glory, much more that which remaineth is in glory.

12 ف َلِأنَّ لَنا هَذا الرَّجاءَ، نَتَكَلَّمُ بِجُرأةٍ أعظَمَ.

Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,

13 و َنَحنُ لَسنا كَمُوسَى الَّذِي كانَ يُغَطِّي وَجهَهُ بِلِثامٍ لِئَلّا يَرَى بَنُو إسرائِيلَ زَوالَ البَهاءِ.

and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away:

14 ل َكِنَّ 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.

but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ.

15 ل َكِنْ ما يَزالُ هُناكَ لِثامٌ فَوقَ أذهانِهِمْ إلَى هَذا اليَومِ كُلَّما قُرِئَتْ شَرِيعَةُ مُوسَى.

But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart.

16 و َكُلَّما رَجِعَ أحَدُهُمْ إلَى الرَّبِّ، يُرفَعُ اللِّثامُ.

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

17 و َالرَّبُّ هُوَ الرُّوحُ. وَحَيثُ رُوحُ الرَّبِّ، هُناكَ حُرِّيَّةٌ.

Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

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

But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.