| New International Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? | 1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you? |
| 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. | 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. |
| 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. | 3It is clear that you are Christ's letter, produced by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God--not on stone tablets but on tablets that are hearts of flesh. |
| 4Such confidence we have through Christ before God. | 4We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ. |
| 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. | 5It is not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. |
| 6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. | 6He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life. |
| 7Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, | 7Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the Israelites were not able to look directly at Moses' face because of the glory from his face--a fading glory-- |
| 8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? | 8how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? |
| 9If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! | 9For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory. |
| 10For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. | 10In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. |
| 11And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! | 11For if what was fading away was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious. |
| 12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. | 12Therefore, having such a hope, we use great boldness. |
| 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. | 13We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not stare at the end of what was fading away, |
| 14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. | 14but their minds were closed. For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ. |
| 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. | 15Even to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, |
| 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. | 16but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. |
| 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 freedom. |
| 18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. | 18We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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