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

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

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

You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by 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,

being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

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

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God;

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 account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from 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 made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives 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 service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away:

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

won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?

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

For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more 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 most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.

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

For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

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

Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness 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, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.

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 hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.

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

But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

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

But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

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

Now the Lord is the 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 unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.