He needs no commendatory letters. The glory of the ministry of the New Testament.

 1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need (as some do) epistles of commendation to you, or from you?
Incipimus iterum nosmetipsos commendare? aut numquid egemus ( sicut quidam) commendatiis epistolis ad vos, aut ex vobis?

 2 You are our epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and read by all men:
Epistola nostra vos estis, scripta in cordibus nostris, quae scitur, et legitur ab omnibus hominibus :

 3 Being manifested, that you are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart.
manifestati quod epistola estis Christi, ministrata a nobis, et scripta non atramento, sed Spiritu Dei vivi : non in tabulis lapideis, sed in tabulis cordis carnalibus.

 4 And such confidence we have, through Christ, towards God.
Fiduciam autem talem habemus per Christum ad Deum :

 5 Not that we are sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is from God.
non quod sufficientes simus cogitare aliquid a nobis, quasi ex nobis : sed sufficientia nostra ex Deo est :

 6 Who also hath made us fit ministers of the new testament, not in the letter, but in the spirit. For the letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth.
qui et idoneos nos fecit ministros novi testamenti : non littera, sed Spiritu : littera enim occidit, Spiritus autem vivificat.

 7 Now if the ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious; so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which is made void:
Quod si ministratio mortis litteris deformata in lapidibus fuit in gloria, ita ut non possent intendere filii Israel in faciem Moysi propter gloriam vultus ejus, quae evacuatur :

 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather in glory?
quomodo non magis ministratio Spiritus erit in gloria?

 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more the ministration of justice aboundeth in glory.
Nam si ministratio damnationis gloria est : multo magis abundat ministerium justitiae in gloria.

 10 For even that which was glorious in this part was not glorified, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
Nam nec glorificatum est, quod claruit in hac parte, propter excellentem gloriam.

 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is in glory.
Si enim quod evacuatur, per gloriam est : multo magis quod manet, in gloria est.

 12 Having therefore such hope, we use much confidence:
Habentes igitur talem spem, multa fiducia utimur :

 13 And not as Moses put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel might not steadfastly look on the face of that which is made void.
et non sicut Moyses ponebat velamen super faciem suam, ut non intenderent filii Israel in faciem ejus, quod evacuatur,

 14 But their senses were made dull. For, until this present day, the selfsame veil, in the reading of the old testament, remaineth not taken away (because in Christ it is made void).
sed obtusi sunt sensus eorum. Usque in hodiernum enim diem, idipsum velamen in lectione veteris testamenti manet non revelatum ( quoniam in Christo evacuatur),

 15 But even until this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
sed usque in hodiernum diem, cum legitur Moyses, velamen positum est super cor eorum.

 16 But when they shall be converted to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
Cum autem conversus fuerit ad Dominum, auferetur velamen.

 17 Now the Lord is a Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Dominus autem Spiritus est : ubi autem Spiritus Domini, ibi libertas.

 18 But we all beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Nos vero omnes, revelata facie gloriam Domini speculantes, in eamdem imaginem transformamur a claritate in claritatem, tamquam a Domini Spiritu.