| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? | 1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? |
| 2You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. | 2You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; |
| 3And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered 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. | 3being 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. |
| 4Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. | 4Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. |
| 5Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, | 5Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, |
| 6who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. | 6who 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. |
| 7Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, | 7But 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, |
| 8will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? | 8how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? |
| 9For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. | 9For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. |
| 10Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. | 10For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. |
| 11For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. | 11For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. |
| 12Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, | 12Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, |
| 13not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. | 13and 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. |
| 14But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. | 14But 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. |
| 15Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. | 15But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; |
| 16But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. | 16but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. |
| 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. | 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. |
| 18And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. | 18But 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. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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