| New King James Version | New International 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, like some people, 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, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 4And we have such trust through Christ toward God. | 4Such confidence we have through Christ before 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 competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes 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. | 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. |
| 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 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, |
| 8how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? | 8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? |
| 9For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. | 9If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! |
| 10For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. | 10For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. |
| 11For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. | 11And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! |
| 12Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— | 12Therefore, since 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. | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 15But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. | 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. |
| 16Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. | 16But whenever anyone 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 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, 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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. |
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