1 A re we making it sound as if we think we are so important? Other people write letters about themselves. Do we need to write such a letter to you?

¶ Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?

2 Y ou are our letter. You are written in our hearts. You are known and read by all men.

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

3 Y ou are as a letter from Christ written by us. You are not written as other letters are written with ink, or on pieces of stone. You are written in human hearts by the Spirit of the living God.

Forasmuch 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.

4 W e can say these things because of our faith in God through Christ.

And such trust we have through the Christ towards God:

5 W e know we are not able in ourselves to do any of this work. God makes us able to do these things.

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

6 G od is the One Who made us preachers of a New Way of Worship. This New Way of Worship is not of the Law. It is of the Holy Spirit. The Law brings death, but the Holy Spirit gives life.

¶ who also has made us able ministers of the new testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 T he Law of Moses was written on stone and it brought death. But God’s shining-greatness was seen when it was given. When Moses took it to the Jews, they could not look at his face because of the bright light. But that bright light in his face began to pass away.

But if the ministry of death in the letter engraved in stones was glorious, so that the sons of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance which glory was to fade away,

8 T he new way of life through the Holy Spirit comes with much more shining-greatness.

How shall not the ministry of the Spirit be for greater glory?

9 I f the Law of Moses, that leads to death, came in shining-greatness, how much greater and brighter is the light that makes us right with God?

For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, much more shall the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.

10 T he Law of Moses came with shining-greatness long ago. But that light is no longer bright. The shining-greatness of the New Way of Worship that brings us life is so much brighter.

For even that which was so glorious had no glory in this respect, in comparison with the glory that excels.

11 T he shining light that came with the Law of Moses soon passed away. But the new way of life is much brighter. It will never pass away.

For if that which fades away was glorious, much more shall that which remains be glorious.

12 W e speak without fear because our trust is in Christ.

¶ Seeing then that we have such hope, we speak with great confidence,

13 W e are not like Moses. He put a covering over his face so the Jews would not see that the bright light was passing away.

And not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, that the sons of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that glory which was to fade away:

14 T heir minds were not able to understand. Even to this day when the Law is read, there is a covering over their minds. They do not see that Christ is the only One Who can take the covering away.

(And thus their senses became hardened, for until this day remains the same veil not uncovered in the reading of the old testament, which veil is taken away in Christ.

15 Y es, to this day, there is a covering over their hearts whenever the Law of Moses is read.

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

16 B ut whenever a man turns to the Lord, the covering is taken away.

Nevertheless when they convert to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.)

17 T he heart is free where the Spirit of the Lord is. The Lord is the Spirit.

For the Lord is the Spirit, and where that Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18 A ll of us, with no covering on our faces, show the shining-greatness of the Lord as in a mirror. All the time we are being changed to look like Him, with more and more of His shining-greatness. This change is from the Lord Who is the Spirit.

Therefore we all, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord with uncovered face, are transformed from glory to glory into the same likeness, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.