1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you? 2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men, 3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God, 5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face, which was passing away, 8 won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory? 9 For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses. 11 For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, 13 and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face so that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away. 14 But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away. 15 But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
1 难道我们又在自我推荐吗？难道我们像有些人， 要拿荐信给你们， 或向你们拿荐信吗？
2 你们就是我们的荐信， 写在我们的心里， 是众人所认识所诵读的，
3 显明你们自己是基督的书信， 是借着我们写成的， 不是用墨， 而是用永活 神的灵写的； 不是写在石版上， 而是写在心版上。
4 我们在 神面前， 借着基督才有这样的信心。
5 我们不敢以为自己有资格作什么， 我们所能够作的是出于 神。
6 他使我们有资格作新约的仆役， 这新约不是从仪文来的， 而是从圣灵来的； 因为仪文会使人死， 而圣灵却使人活。
7 如果那以文字刻在石上使人死的律法的工作， 尚且带有荣光， 以致以色列人因着摩西脸上短暂的荣光， 不能注视他的脸，
8 那出于圣灵的工作不是更有荣光吗？
9 如果那定人有罪的工作尚且有荣光， 那使人称义的工作就更有荣光了！
10 那从前有荣光的， 现在因那超越的荣光， 就算不得有荣光；
11 如果那短暂的有荣光， 那长存的就更有荣光了。
12 所以， 我们既然有这样的盼望， 就大大地放胆行事，
13 不像摩西那样， 把帕子蒙在脸上， 使以色列人看不见那短暂的荣光的结局。
14 但是他们的心思迟钝， 因为直到今日， 他们诵读旧约的时候， 这帕子仍然存在， 没有揭开， 唯有在基督里才能把这帕子废掉。
15 可是直到今日， 他们每逢诵读摩西的书的时候， 这帕子还盖在他们的心上。
16 但他们什么时候归向主， 这帕子就什么时候除掉了。
17 主就是那灵； 主的灵在哪里， 哪里就有自由。
18 我们众人脸上的帕子既然已经揭开， 反映主的荣光（"反映主的荣光"或译： "对着镜子看见主的荣光"）， 就变成主那样的形象， 大有荣光。这是主所作成的， 他就是那灵。