新约的执事
难道我们又开始推荐自己吗？难道我们像某些人那样要用人的推荐信介绍给你们，或用你们的推荐信给人吗？
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2你们就是我们的推荐信，写在我们心里，被众人所知道、所诵读的，Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3而你们显明自己是基督的书信，藉着我们写成的。不是用墨写的，而是用永生神的灵写的；不是写在石版上，而是写在心版上的。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.
4我们藉着基督才对神有这样的信心。And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5并不是我们凭自己配做什么事，我们之所以配做是出于神；Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6他使我们能配作新约的执事，不是文字上的约，而是圣灵的约；因为文字使人死，圣灵能使人活。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.
7那用字刻在石头上属死的事奉尚且有荣光，以致以色列人因摩西脸上那逐渐褪色的荣光不能定睛看他的脸，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:
8那属圣灵的事奉不是更有荣光吗？How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9若是那使人定罪的事奉有荣光，那使人称义的事奉的荣光就越发大了。For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10那从前有荣光的，因这更大的荣光，就算不得有荣光了；For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11若是那逐渐褪色的有荣光，这长存的就更有荣光了。For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12既然我们有这样的盼望，就大有胆量，Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13不像摩西将面纱蒙在脸上，使以色列人不能定睛看到那逐渐褪色的荣光的结局。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:
14但他们的心地刚硬，直到今日诵读旧约的时候，这同样的面纱还没有揭去；因为这面纱在基督里才被废去。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.
15然而直到今日，每逢诵读摩西书的时候，面纱还在他们心上。But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16但他们的心何时归向主，面纱就何时除去。Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17主就是那灵；主的灵在哪里，哪里就有自由。Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18既然我们众人以揭去面纱的脸得以看见☛“看见”或译“反映”。主的荣光，好像从镜子里返照，就变成了与主有同样的形像，荣上加荣，如同从主的灵☛“从主的灵”或译“从主，就是灵”。变成的。But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.