1 ¶ ¿Comenzamos otra vez a alabarnos a nosotros mismos? ¿O tenemos necesidad, como algunos, de letras de recomendación para vosotros, o de recomendación de vosotros para otros ?

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

2 N uestras letras sois vosotros mismos, escritas en nuestros corazones, las cuales son sabidas y leídas por todos los hombres;

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

3 c uando es manifiesto que sois letra de Cristo administrada por nosotros, escrita no con tinta, sino con el Espíritu del Dios vivo; no en tablas de piedra, sino en tablas de carne del corazón.

You 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.

4 Y tal confianza tenemos por el Cristo para con Dios;

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

5 n o que seamos suficientes por nosotros mismos para pensar algo como de nosotros mismos, sino que nuestra suficiencia es de Dios;

Not 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.

6 ¶ el cual aun nos hizo que fuéramos ministros suficientes del Nuevo Testamento, no de la letra, sino del Espíritu; porque la letra mata, mas el Espíritu vivifica.

Who 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.

7 Y si el ministerio de muerte en la letra grabado en piedras, fue para gloria, tanto que los hijos de Israel no pudieran poner los ojos en la faz de Moisés a causa de la gloria de su rostro, la cual había de perecer,

Now 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,

8 ¿ Cómo no será para mayor gloria el ministerio del Espíritu?

Why 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?

9 P orque si el ministerio de condenación fue de gloria, mucho más abundará en gloria el ministerio de justicia.

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

10 P orque lo que fue tan glorioso, en esta parte ni aun fue glorioso, en comparación con la excelente gloria.

Indeed, 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].

11 P orque si lo que perece es para gloria, mucho más será para gloria lo que permanece.

For 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!

12 ¶ Así que, teniendo tal esperanza, hablamos con mucha confianza;

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

13 y no como Moisés, que ponía un velo sobre su faz, para que los hijos de Israel no pusieran los ojos en su cara, cuya gloria había de perecer.

Nor like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing.

14 ( Y así los sentidos de ellos se embotaron; porque hasta el día de hoy les queda el mismo velo no descubierto en la lección del Antiguo Testamento, el cual en Cristo es quitado.

In 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.

15 Y aun hasta el día de hoy, cuando Moisés es leído, el velo está puesto sobre el corazón de ellos.

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

16 P ero cuando se conviertan al Señor, el velo se quitará.)

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

17 P orque el Señor es el Espíritu; y donde hay aquel Espíritu del Señor, allí hay libertad.

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

18 P or tanto nosotros todos, puestos los ojos como en un espejo en la gloria del Señor con cara descubierta, somos transformados de gloria en gloria en la misma semejanza, como por el Espíritu del Señor.

And 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.