1 Do we seem to be again attempting to put ourselves in the right? or have we need, as some have, of letters of approval to you or from you?

1 ἀρχόμεθα πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς συνιστάνειν; ἢ μὴ χρῄζομεν ὥς τινες συστατικῶν ἐπιστολῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐξ ὑμῶν;

2 You yourselves are our letter, whose writing is in our heart, open for every man's reading and knowledge;

2 ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἡμῶν ὑμεῖς ἐστε, ἐγγεγραμμένη ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, γινωσκομένη καὶ ἀναγινωσκομένη ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων·

3 For you are clearly a letter of Christ, the fruit of our work, recorded not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in stone, but in hearts of flesh.

3 φανερούμενοι ὅτι ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ χριστοῦ διακονηθεῖσα ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἐγγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι ἀλλὰ πνεύματι θεοῦ ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις ἀλλ᾽ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις.

4 And this is the certain faith which we have in God through Christ:

4 πεποίθησιν δὲ τοιαύτην ἔχομεν διὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεόν.

5 Not as if we were able by ourselves to do anything for which we might take the credit; but our power comes from God;

5 οὐχ ὅτι ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν ἱκανοί ἐσμεν λογίσασθαί τι ὡς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ἱκανότης ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ,

6 Who has made us able to be servants of a new agreement; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter gives death, but the Spirit gives life.

6 ὃς καὶ ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους καινῆς διαθήκης, οὐ γράμματος ἀλλὰ πνεύματος· τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέννει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ.

7 For if the operation of the law, giving death, recorded in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the eyes of the children of Israel had to be turned away from the face of Moses because of its glory, a glory which was only for a time:

7 εἰ δὲ ἡ διακονία τοῦ θανάτου ἐν γράμμασιν ἐντετυπωμένη λίθοις ἐγενήθη ἐν δόξῃ, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον μωϊσέως διὰ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ τὴν καταργουμένην,

8 Will not the operation of the Spirit have a much greater glory?

8 πῶς οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἡ διακονία τοῦ πνεύματος ἔσται ἐν δόξῃ;

9 For if the operation of the law, producing punishment, had its glory, how much greater will be the operation of the Spirit causing righteousness?

9 εἰ γὰρ τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς κατακρίσεως δόξα, πολλῶ μᾶλλον περισσεύει ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης δόξῃ.

10 For the glory of the first no longer seems to be glory, because of the greater glory of that which comes after.

10 καὶ γὰρ οὐ δεδόξασται τὸ δεδοξασμένον ἐν τούτῳ τῶ μέρει εἵνεκεν τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης δόξης·

11 For if the order which was for a time had its glory, much more will the eternal order have its glory.

11 εἰ γὰρ τὸ καταργούμενον διὰ δόξης, πολλῶ μᾶλλον τὸ μένον ἐν δόξῃ.

12 Having then such a hope, we keep nothing back,

12 ἔχοντες οὗν τοιαύτην ἐλπίδα πολλῇ παρρησίᾳ χρώμεθα,

13 And are not like Moses, who put a veil on his face, so that the children of Israel might not see clearly to the end of the present order of things:

13 καὶ οὐ καθάπερ μωϊσῆς ἐτίθει κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ τέλος τοῦ καταργουμένου.

14 But their minds were made hard: for to this very day at the reading of the old agreement the same veil is still unlifted; though it is taken away in Christ.

14 ἀλλὰ ἐπωρώθη τὰ νοήματα αὐτῶν. ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μένει μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον, ὅτι ἐν χριστῶ καταργεῖται·

15 But to this day, at the reading of the law of Moses, a veil is over their heart.

15 ἀλλ᾽ ἕως σήμερον ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκηται μωϊσῆς κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται·

16 But when it is turned to the Lord, the veil will be taken away.

16 ἡνίκα δὲ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα.

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there the heart is free.

17 ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὖ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐλευθερία.

18 But we all, with unveiled face giving back as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord who is the Spirit.

18 ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος.