| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, 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 of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. | 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. |
| 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. | 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 is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. | 4We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ. |
| 5Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, | 5It is not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from 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. | 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 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, | 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 have even more glory? | 8how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? |
| 9For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. | 9For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory. |
| 10Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. | 10In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. |
| 11For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. | 11For if what was fading away was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious. |
| 12Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, | 12Therefore, having such a hope, we use great boldness. |
| 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. | 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 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 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. |
| 15Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. | 15Even to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, |
| 16But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. | 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, 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. | 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. |
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