§3.1Ἀρχόμεθα πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς συνιστάνειν;
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again?
ἢ μὴ χρῄζομεν ὥς τινες συστατικῶν ἐπιστολῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐξ ὑμῶν;
Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
§3.2ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἡμῶν ὑμεῖς ἐστέ, ἐνγεγραμμένη ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, γινωσκομένη καὶ ἀναγινωσκομένη ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων· §3.3φανερούμενοι ὅτι ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ διακονηθεῖσα ὑφʼ ἡμῶν,
"ἐνγεγραμμένη"
οὐ μέλανι ἀλλὰ πνεύματι θεοῦ ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν
"πλαξὶν λιθίναις"
ἀλλʼ ἐν
"πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις. " §3.4Πεποίθησιν δὲ τοιαύτην ἔχομεν διὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεόν.
You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all people, revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, "written" not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on "tablets of stone" but on "tablets of human hearts." Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.
§3.5οὐχ ὅτι ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν ἱκανοί ἐσμεν λογίσασθαί τι ὡς ἐξ αὑτῶν, ἀλλʼ ἡ ἱκανότης ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, §3.6ὃς καὶ ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους καινῆς διαθήκης, οὐ γράμματος ἀλλὰ πνεύματος, τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτείνει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ.
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who indeed made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
§3.7Εἰ δὲ ἡ διακονία τοῦ θανάτου ἐν γράμμασιν ἐντετυπωμένη λίθοις ἐγενήθη ἐν δόξῃ, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον Μωυσέως διὰ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ τὴν καταργουμένην, §3.8πῶς οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἡ διακονία τοῦ πνεύματος ἔσται ἐν δόξῃ;
But if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more with glory?
§3.9εἰ γὰρ ἡ διακονία τῆς κατακρίσεως δόξα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον περισσεύει ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης δόξῃ.
For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness exceed in glory.
§3.10καὶ γὰρ οὐ δεδόξασται τὸ δεδοξασμένον ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει εἵνεκεν τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης δόξης·
For indeed what once had glory has lost its glory in this respect, because of the surpassing glory.
§3.11εἰ γὰρ τὸ καταργούμενον διὰ δόξης, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ μένον ἐν δόξῃ.
For if what was passing away came through glory, much more does what remains exist in glory.
§3.12Ἔχοντες οὖν τοιαύτην ἐλπίδα πολλῇ παρρησίᾳ χρώμεθα, §3.13καὶ οὐ καθάπερ
"Μωυσῆς ἐτίθει κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ,"
πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ τέλος τοῦ καταργουμένου.
Therefore, having such a hope, we act with great boldness, and are not like "Moses, 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 passing away.
§3.14ἀλλὰ ἐπωρώθη τὰ νοήματα αὐτῶν. ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μένει μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον, ὅτι ἐν Χριστῷ καταργεῖται,
But their minds were hardened; for to this very day, when the old covenant is read, the same veil remains unlifted, because it is only in Christ that it is taken away.
§3.15ἀλλʼ ἕως σήμερον ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκηται Μωυσῆς κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται· §3.16"ἡνίκα"
"δὲ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸξ Κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα. " §3.17ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα Κυρίου, ἐλευθερία.
Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts; "But whenever one 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.
§3.18ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ
"τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου"
κατοπτριζόμενοι τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος.
And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.