New Covenant Ministry
1 Am I beginning again to "recommend" myself? Or do I need, as some do, letters of commendation either to you or from you?
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?
1 Are we beginning to (A)commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, (B)letters of commendation to you or from you?
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
1 Are we beginning to recommend ourselves again? Unlike some people, we do not need letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we?
3 Since all can see that you are a letter of Christ transcribed by men, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts as tablets.
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.
3 being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, (a)(D)cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of (E)the living God, not on (F)tablets of stone but on (G)tablets of (b)(H)human hearts.
3 It is clear that you are Christ’s letter,(B) produced(a) by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God(C)—not on stone tablets(D) but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.(E)
3 You are demonstrating that you are the Messiah's letter, produced by our service, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
Paul's Competence
5 Not that I am sufficient in myself to reach any conclusion in my own wisdom; but my sufficiency is from God.
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but (J)our adequacy is from God,
5 It is not that we are competent in(b) ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God.(F)
5 By ourselves we are not qualified to claim that anything comes from us. Rather, our credentials come from God,
6 It is he who has also made me sufficient as a minister of a new covenant; not of a letter but of a spirit; for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.
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.
6 who also made us adequate as (K)servants of a (L)new covenant, not of (M)the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but (N)the Spirit gives life.
6 He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,(G) not of the letter,(H) but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.
6 who has also qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, which is not written but spiritual, because the written text brings death, but the Spirit gives life.
The Glory Of The New Covenant
7 If, however, the administration of death, written with letters and engraved on stones, began in glory, so that the children of Israel could not gaze steadily on the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face?? glory even then fading??8 how much more shall the ministry of the Spirit abide in glory?
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:
7 But if the (O)ministry of death, (P)in letters engraved on stones, came (c)with glory, (Q)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,
7 Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory,(I) so that the Israelites were not able to look directly at Moses’ face because of the glory from his face—a fading glory—
7 Now if the ministry of death that was inscribed in letters of stone came with such glory that the people of Israel could not gaze on Moses' face (because the glory was fading away from it),
8 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, far more is the ministry of righteousness radiant in glory.
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?
8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
8 will not the Spirit's ministry have even more glory?
9 Indeed that which once was glorious has lost its glory, because of the glory which surpasses it.
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
9 For if (R)the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the (S)ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory.
9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, then the ministry of justification has an overwhelming glory.
10 For if that which was fading came in glory, far more will that which ever abides be glorious.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
10 For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.
10 In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it.
10 In fact, that which once had glory lost its glory, because the other glory surpassed it.
13 Nay, their minds were made dull; for to this very day, at the public reading of the Old Testament, the same veil rests thereon, because it is not revealed to them that in Christ the veil is taken away.
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:
13 and are not like Moses, (V)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.
13 We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face(L) so that the Israelites could not stare at the end of what was fading away,
13 not like Moses, who kept covering his face with a veil to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of what was fading away.
14 Yes, to this very day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies on their hearts;
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.
14 But their minds were (W)hardened; for until this very day at the (X)reading of (Y)the old covenant the same veil (e)remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
14 but their minds were closed.(c)(M) For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant,(N) the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.(O)
14 However, their minds were hardened, for to this day the same veil is still there when they read the old covenant. Only in union with the Messiah is that veil removed.
15 but when their heart turns to our Lord the veil is stripped away.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
15 Even to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts,
15 Yet even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
17 And we all, with unveiled faces, reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are ourselves continually being transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as by the Lord, the Spirit.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord's Spirit is, there is freedom.