1 Vai tad mēs atkal sākam sevi slavināt? Jeb vai mums kā dažiem citiem vajadzīgas ieteikšanas vēstules pie jums vai no jums?
2 Jūs esat mūsu vēstule, rakstīta mūsu sirdis, saprotama un lasāma visiem cilvēkiem.
3 Ir skaidri redzams, ka esat Kristus vēstule, ko esam sastādījuši, rakstīta ne ar tinti, bet ar dzīvā Dieva Garu, ne uz akmens, bet uz sirds plāksnēm.
4 Tāda paļāvība mums ir caur Kristu uz Dieva.
5 Ne ka mēs paši no sevis būtu spējīgi ko labu domāt; bet ja esam spējīgi, tad tas ir no Dieva,
6 Kas mūs darījis spējīgus kalpot jaunajai derībai, ne burtam, bet garam; jo burts nokauj, bet gars dara dzīvu.
7 Bet ja nāves amatam ar saviem akmeņos kaltiem burtiem bijis tāds spo-žums, ka Israēla bērni nevarēja skatīties Mozus vaigā viņa spožuma dēļ, kam taču bija jāzūd,
8 Kā lai nebūtu daudz lielāks spožums gara amatam?
9 Jo, ja pazudināšanas amatam bijis spožums, tad jo daudz vairāk tas ir taisnošanas amatam.
10 Jo, kas bijis spožs, tas tagad ir zaudējis savu spožumu šā pārlieku lielā spožuma dēj.
11 Jo, ja tam, kam bija jāzūd, bijis spožums, tad jo vairāk būs spožums tam, kas paliek.
12 Tāpēc ka mums ir tāda cerība, mēs runājam ar lielu drosmi,
13 Un ne tā kā Mozus, kas klāja apsegu pār savu vaigu, lai Israēla bērni neredzētu, kā izbeidzas tas, kam jāzūd.
14 Bet viņu sirdis tika nocietinātas; jo līdz šai dienai tas pats apsegs paliek, un lasot veco derību, nevar tikt atsegts, jo tas zūd ar Kristu.
15 Bet lidz šai dienai, kad lasa Mozu, apsegs paliek izklāts pār viņu sirdīm.
16 Bet līdz ko atgriežas pie tā Kunga, tur sega tiek noņemta.
17 Tas Kungs ir Gars. Kur tā Kunga Gars, tur ir brīvība.
18 Bet mēs visi, atsegtām sejām spoguļodamies tā Kunga spožumā, topam pārvērsti viņa paša līdzībā no spožuma uz spožumu. To dara tā Kunga Gars.
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others , epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch 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.
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who 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. 7 But 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: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 13 And 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: 14 But 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. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is , there is liberty. 18 But 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.
