1 D o we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

Do we begin again to recommend ourselves, except we need, as some, letters of recommendation unto you, or from you?

2 Y e are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

our letter ye are, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men,

3 F orasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the 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 fleshy tables of the heart.

manifested that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in the tablets of stone, but in fleshy tablets of the heart,

4 A nd such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

and such trust we have through the Christ toward God,

5 N ot that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency of God,

6 W ho also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

who also made us sufficient ministrants of a new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit; for the letter doth kill, and the spirit doth make alive.

7 B ut 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:

and if the ministration of the death, in letters, engraved in stones, came in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look stedfastly to the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face -- which was being made useless,

8 H ow shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

how shall the ministration of the Spirit not be more in glory?

9 F or if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

for if the ministration of the condemnation glory, much more doth the ministration of the righteousness abound in glory;

10 F or even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

for also even that which hath been glorious, hath not been glorious -- in this respect, because of the superior glory;

11 F or if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

for if that which is being made useless through glory, much more that which is remaining in glory.

12 S eeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

Having, then, such hope, we use much freedom of speech,

13 A nd not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

and not as Moses, who was putting a vail upon his own face, for the sons of Israel not stedfastly to look to the end of that which is being made useless,

14 B ut their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

but their minds were hardened, for unto this day the same vail at the reading of the Old Covenant doth remain unwithdrawn -- which in Christ is being made useless --

15 B ut even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

but till to-day, when Moses is read, a vail upon their heart doth lie,

16 N evertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away.

17 N ow the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord, there liberty;

18 B ut we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

and we all, with unvailed face, the glory of the Lord beholding in a mirror, to the same image are being transformed, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.