'Are we beginning1to commend4ourselves3again?2Or5dowe need,7as8some9do,letters11of recommendation10to12you,13or14from15you?16 You yourselves4are5our3letter [of recommendation],2written6on7our10hearts,9to be known11and12read13by14all.15 And youshow1that2you are3a letter4from Christ5delivered6by7us,8written9not10with ink11but12with the Spirit13of the living15God,14not16on17tablets18of stone19but20on21tablets22ofhuman24hearts.23 Such3isthe confidence1thatwe have4through5Christ7toward8God.10 Not1that2we are6sufficient5in3ourselves4to claim7anything8as9comingfrom10us,11but12our15sufficiency14isfrom16God,18 who1has made3us4sufficient3to beministers5of a new6covenant,7not8of the letter9but10of the Spirit.11For13the12letter14kills,15but17the16Spirit18gives life.19 Now2if1the3ministry4of death,6carved9in7letters8on stone,10came11with12[such] glory13that14the18Israelites1920could16not15gaze17at21Moses ’24face23because of25its30glory,27which was being brought to an end,32 will1not2the4ministry5of the6Spirit7have8evenmore3glory?10 For2if1there wasglory7in the3ministry4of condemnation,6the11ministry12of righteousness14[must]8far9exceed10itin glory.15 Indeed,2in7this8case,10what once had glory56has come to have4no3glory4at all,because11of the12glory14that surpasses13it. For2if1what was being brought to an end34camewith5glory,6much7more8willwhat is permanent910have11glory.12 Since2[we] have1such3a hope,4we are7very5bold,6 not2like3Moses,4whowould put5a veil6over7his10face9so that1112the15Israelites1617might14not13gaze14at18the19outcome20of what was being brought to an end.2122 But1their5minds4were hardened.2For7to6this9day,10when1415theyread16the17old18covenant,19that11same12veil13remains20unlifted,2122because23onlythrough24Christ25isit taken away.26 Yes,1to2this day3whenever45Moses7is read6a veil8lies13over9their12hearts.11 But2when1one turns4to5the Lord,6the8veil9is removed.7 Now2the1Lord3is6the4Spirit,5and8where7the9Spirit10of the Lord11is,thereisfreedom.12 And2we1all,3with unveiled4face,5beholding9the6glory7of the Lord,8are being transformed13into the10same11image12from14one degree ofglory15to16[another].17For this comes18from19the Lord20who isthe Spirit.21