1 A re we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or from you?

2 Y ou are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;

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

3 b eing manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but Spirit of living God; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of heart.

4 S uch confidence we have through Christ toward God.

And such confidence have we through the Christ towards God:

5 N ot that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,

not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency of God;

6 w ho also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

who has also made us competent, ministers of new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens.

7 B ut if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,

(But if the ministry of death, in letters, graven in stones, began with glory, so that the children of Israel could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, which is annulled;

8 h ow will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?

how shall not rather the ministry of the Spirit subsist in glory?

9 F or if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.

For if the ministry of condemnation glory, much rather the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory.

10 F or indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.

For also that glorified is not glorified in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory.

11 F or if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

For if that annulled with glory, much rather that which abides in glory.

12 T herefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,

Having therefore such hope, we use much boldness:

13 a nd are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.

and not according as Moses put a veil on his own face, so that the children of Israel should not fix their eyes on the end of that annulled.

14 B ut their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.

But their thoughts have been darkened, for unto this day the same veil remains in reading the old covenant, unremoved, which in Christ is annulled.

15 B ut to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;

But unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil lies upon their heart.

16 b ut whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

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

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

Now the Lord is the Spirit, but where the Spirit of Lord liberty.

18 B ut we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by Lord Spirit.