1 C ommençons-nous de nouveau à nous recommander nous-mêmes? Ou avons-nous besoin, comme quelques-uns, de lettres de recommandation auprès de vous, ou de votre part?

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 C 'est vous qui êtes notre lettre, écrite dans nos coeurs, connue et lue de tous les hommes.

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

3 V ous êtes manifestement une lettre de Christ, écrite, par notre ministère, non avec de l'encre, mais avec l'Esprit du Dieu vivant, non sur des tables de pierre, mais sur des tables de chair, sur les coeurs.

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 C ette assurance-là, nous l'avons par Christ auprès de Dieu.

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

5 C e n'est pas à dire que nous soyons par nous-mêmes capables de concevoir quelque chose comme venant de nous-mêmes. Notre capacité, au contraire, vient de Dieu.

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 I l nous a aussi rendus capables d'être ministres d'une nouvelle alliance, non de la lettre, mais de l'esprit; car la lettre tue, mais l'esprit vivifie.

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 O r, si le ministère de la mort, gravé avec des lettres sur des pierres, a été glorieux, au point que les fils d'Israël ne pouvaient fixer les regards sur le visage de Moïse, à cause de la gloire de son visage, bien que cette gloire fût passagère,

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 c ombien le ministère de l'esprit ne sera-t-il pas plus glorieux!

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 S i le ministère de la condamnation a été glorieux, le ministère de la justice est de beaucoup supérieur en gloire.

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

10 E t, sous ce rapport, ce qui a été glorieux ne l'a point été, à cause de cette gloire qui lui est supérieure.

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 E n effet, si ce qui était passager a été glorieux, ce qui est permanent est bien plus glorieux.

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 A yant donc cette espérance, nous usons d'une grande liberté,

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

13 e t nous ne faisons pas comme Moïse, qui mettait un voile sur son visage, pour que les fils d'Israël ne fixassent pas les regards sur la fin de ce qui était passager.

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

14 M ais ils sont devenus durs d'entendement. Car jusqu'à ce jour le même voile demeure quand, ils font la lecture de l'Ancien Testament, et il ne se lève pas, parce que c'est en Christ qu'il disparaît.

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 J usqu'à ce jour, quand on lit Moïse, un voile est jeté sur leurs coeurs;

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

16 m ais lorsque les coeurs se convertissent au Seigneur, le voile est ôté.

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

17 O r, le Seigneur c'est l'Esprit; et là où est l'Esprit du Seigneur, là est la liberté.

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

18 N ous tous qui, le visage découvert, contemplons comme dans un miroir la gloire du Seigneur, nous sommes transformés en la même image, de gloire en gloire, comme par le Seigneur, l'Esprit.

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.