| English Standard Version | King James Bible |
| 1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? | 1Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? |
| 2You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. | 2Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of 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. | 3Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. |
| 4Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. | 4And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: |
| 5Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, | 5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of 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 hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth 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 ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: |
| 8will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? | 8How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? |
| 9For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. | 9For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed 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 even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. |
| 11For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. | 11For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. |
| 12Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, | 12Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of 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 not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: |
| 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 blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. |
| 15Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. | 15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. |
| 16But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. | 16Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. |
| 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. | 17Now the Lord is that 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 open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. |
| 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. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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