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?

E timata ana ano ranei matou te whakapai ki a matou ano? e pera ana ranei me etahi atu, e mea ana matou ki etahi pukapuka whakapai ma matou ki a koutou, ma koutou ranei ki a matou?

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

Ko koutou ta matou pukapuka, he mea tuhituhi ki o matou ngakau, e kitea ana, e korerotia ana e nga tangata katoa:

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.

Kua marama na hoki, ko koutou he pukapuka na te Karaiti, he mea minita na matou, ehara i te mea tuhituhi ki te mangumangu, engari ki te Wairua o te Atua ora; he teka ki nga papa kohatu, engari ki runga ki nga papa kikokiko o te ngakau.

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

Ko tenei tu whakaaro o matou u tonu ki ta te Atua, he mea na te Karaiti:

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

He teka kei a matou ake te tikanga mo te whakaaro ki tetahi aha, me te mea na matou ake ano; engari na te Atua matou i whai tikanga ai;

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.

Nana hoki matou i tau ai hei minita mo te kawenata hou; he teka no te reta, engari no te wairua: he whakamate hoki ta te reta, he whakaora ia ta te wairua.

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.

Na, mehemea te minitatanga o te mate i tuhituhia nei, i whaoa nei ki nga kohatu, i puta kororia mai, i kore ai e taea e nga tama a Iharaira te titiro matatau atu ki te mata o Mohi i te kororia o tona mata; he kororia ia e memeha ana:

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

E kore ianei e nui noa atu te kororia o te minitatanga o te wairua?

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?

Na, mehemea te minitatanga o te whakatau he he kororia, heoi hira rawa atu te kororia o te minitatanga o te tika.

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.

He pono hoki, kahore te mea i whakakororiatia i whai kororia i tenei wahi, ara na te kororia e hira rawa nei.

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.

Mehemea hoki he kororia to te mea e memeha ana, nui noa atu te kororia o te mea pumau.

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

Na, i a matou ka tumanako nei ki tenei, nui atu to matou maia ki te korero:

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.

Kahore ano e pera me Mohi i maka nei i te hipoki ki tona mata, kei titiro matatau atu nga tama a Iharaira ki te tukunga iho o te mea e memeha haere ana:

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.

Otira i whakapakeketia o ratou hinengaro: no te mea taea noatia mai tenei ra i te korerotanga o te kawenata tawhito e mau tonu ana taua hipoki ra ano, kahore ano i hurahia; i roto ia i a te Karaiti ka whakakahoretia.

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

Na, tae noa mai ki tenei ra, ki te korerotia a Mohi, e takoto ana he hipoki ki runga i to ratou ngakau.

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

Na, kia huri ki te Ariki, ka tangohia te hipoki.

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

Na, ko te Ariki, ko te Wairua ia; ko te wahi i noho ai te Wairua o te Ariki, kei reira te tikanga herekore.

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.

Ko tatou katoa ia kahore he hipoki mo te mata, e whakaahua ana i te kororia o te Atua, ano kei roto i te whakaata, a e whakaputaia ketia ana kia rite ki taua ahua ano, he kororia hono iho ki te kororia, i runga i ta te Wairua o te Ariki.