1 D o we begin again to recommend ourselves, except we need, as some, letters of recommendation unto you, or from you?

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

2 o ur letter ye are, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men,

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

3 m anifested 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,

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 a nd such trust we have through the Christ toward God,

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

5 n ot that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency of God,

not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

6 w ho 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.

who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

7 a nd 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,

But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

8 h ow shall the ministration of the Spirit not be more in glory?

how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

9 f or if the ministration of the condemnation glory, much more doth the ministration of the righteousness abound in glory;

For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 f or also even that which hath been glorious, hath not been glorious -- in this respect, because of the superior glory;

For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

11 f or if that which is being made useless through glory, much more that which is remaining in glory.

For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

12 H aving, then, such hope, we use much freedom of speech,

Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

13 a nd 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,

and not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

14 b ut 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 --

but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

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

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

16 a nd whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away.

Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

17 A nd the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord, there liberty;

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

18 a nd 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.

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.