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

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

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

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 S uch confidence we have through Christ toward God.

and such trust we have through the Christ toward 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 sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency 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 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 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,

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

how shall the ministration of the Spirit not be more 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 ministration of the condemnation glory, much more doth the ministration of the righteousness abound in glory;

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

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 fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

17 N ow the Lord is the 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 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.

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.