| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 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, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? |
| 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. | 2You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; |
| 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. | 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 confidence we have through Christ before God. | 4Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. |
| 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. | 5Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy 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. | 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 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, | 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 be even more glorious? | 8how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? |
| 9If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! | 9For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. |
| 10For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. | 10For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory 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 that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. |
| 12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. | 12Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, |
| 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. | 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 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 hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. |
| 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. | 15But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; |
| 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. | 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, 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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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