| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? | 1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? |
| 2You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; | 2You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. |
| 3clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. | 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. |
| 4And we have such trust through Christ toward God. | 4Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. |
| 5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, | 5Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, |
| 6who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. | 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. |
| 7But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, | 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, |
| 8how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? | 8will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? |
| 9For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. | 9For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. |
| 10For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. | 10Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. |
| 11For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. | 11For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. |
| 12Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— | 12Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, |
| 13unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. | 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. |
| 14But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. | 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. |
| 15But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. | 15Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. |
| 16Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. | 16But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. |
| 17Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. | 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. |
| 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 by the Spirit of the Lord. | 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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. |
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