Are we beginning to commend ourselves again ? Or vvv do we need , like some (people) , letters of recommendation to you or from you ?
You yourselves are our - letter , inscribed on our - hearts , known and read by everyone ....
It is clear 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.
- Such confidence before - God is ours through - Christ.
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything (comes) from us , but our - competence (comes) from - God.
And He has qualified us (as) ministers of a new covenant , not of (the) letter but of (the) Spirit ; for the letter kills , but the Spirit gives life.
Now if the ministry - of death , which was engraved in letters on stone , came with {such} glory that the vvv Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of - vvv vvv (its) - fleeting glory ,
- will not the ministry of the Spirit {be} even more vvv glorious ?
For if the ministry - of condemnation was glorious , how much more ... glorious {is} the ministry - of righteousness !
Indeed ... , what was once glorious vvv has no glory now in - - comparison to ... the glory (that) surpasses (it).
For if what was fading away (came) with glory , how much greater ... (is the) glory of that which endures !
Therefore , since we have such a hope , we are very bold.
(We are) not like Moses , (who) would put a veil over his - face to keep the vvv Israelites (from) - gazing at the end of what was fading away.
But their - minds were closed. For to - (this) day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. vvv It has not been lifted , (because) only in Christ can it be removed.
And even to this day when ... Moses is read , a veil covers ... their - hearts.
But whenever ... (anyone) turns to (the) Lord , the veil is taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit , and where the Spirit of (the) Lord (is) , (there is) freedom.
And we, (who) with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of (the) Lord , are being transformed into - (His) image vvv vvv vvv with intensifying glory , which comes from (the) Lord , (who is the) Spirit.