1 Why are|strong="G1992" we|strong="G5613" beginning|strong="G0757" again|strong="G3825" to|strong="G4314" tell you|strong="G5210" all these good things|strong="G5100" about|strong="G5613" ourselves|strong="G1438"? Do|strong="G3361" we|strong="G5613" need|strong="G5535" letters|strong="G1992" of|strong="G1537" introduction to|strong="G4314" you|strong="G5210" or|strong="G2228" from|strong="G1537" you|strong="G5210", like|strong="G5613" some|strong="G5100" other|strong="G3825" people|strong="G5100"?
2 No, you|strong="G5210" yourselves|strong="G4771" are|strong="G1510" our|strong="G2532" letter|strong="G1992", written|strong="G1449" on|strong="G1722" our|strong="G2532" hearts|strong="G2588". It|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" known|strong="G1097" and|strong="G2532" read|strong="G0314" by|strong="G1722" all|strong="G3956" people|strong="G0444".
3 You|strong="G3754" show|strong="G5319" that|strong="G3754" you|strong="G3754" are|strong="G1510" a|strong="G1510" letter|strong="G1992" from|strong="G5259" Christ|strong="G5547" that|strong="G3754" he|strong="G3754" sent through|strong="G1722" us|strong="G1722". This|strong="G3748" letter|strong="G1992" is|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" written|strong="G1449" with|strong="G1722" ink|strong="G3188" but|strong="G0235" with|strong="G1722" the|strong="G1722" Spirit|strong="G4151" of|strong="G4151" the|strong="G1722" living|strong="G2198" God|strong="G2316". It|strong="G5319" is|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" written|strong="G1449" on|strong="G1722" stone|strong="G3035" tablets|strong="G4109" but|strong="G0235" on|strong="G1722" human|strong="G4560" hearts|strong="G2588".
4 We|strong="G1161" can say|strong="G1223" this|strong="G3588", because|strong="G1223" through|strong="G1223" Christ|strong="G5547" we|strong="G1161" feel sure before|strong="G4314" God|strong="G2316".
5 I|strong="G1473" don’t|strong="G3756" mean|strong="G1510" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" are|strong="G1510" able|strong="G2425" to|strong="G5100" do|strong="G1510" anything|strong="G5100" good|strong="G1510" ourselves|strong="G1438". It|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" God|strong="G2316" who|strong="G3588" makes us|strong="G1537" able|strong="G2425" to|strong="G5100" do|strong="G1510" all|strong="G3588" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" do|strong="G1510".
6 He|strong="G2532" made|strong="G2227" us|strong="G2427" able to|strong="G2532" be|strong="G2532" servants|strong="G1249" of|strong="G4151" a|strong="G3739" new|strong="G2537" agreement from|strong="G2532" himself to|strong="G2532" his|strong="G3739" people|strong="G3588". It|strong="G1161" is|strong="G3739" not|strong="G3756" an|strong="G2532" agreement of|strong="G4151" written laws, but|strong="G1161" it|strong="G1161" is|strong="G3739" of|strong="G4151" the|strong="G3588" Spirit|strong="G4151". The|strong="G3588" written law brings death|strong="G0615", but|strong="G1161" the|strong="G3588" Spirit|strong="G4151" gives|strong="G2227" life|strong="G2227".
7 The|strong="G3588" old agreement that|strong="G5620" brought|strong="G1519" death|strong="G2288", written with|strong="G1722" words on|strong="G1722" stone|strong="G3037", came|strong="G1096" with|strong="G1722" God’s|strong="G0846" glory|strong="G1391". In|strong="G1722" fact, the|strong="G3588" face|strong="G4383" of|strong="G5207" Moses|strong="G3475" was|strong="G3588" so|strong="G1161" bright with|strong="G1722" glory|strong="G1391" (a|strong="G1096" glory|strong="G1391" that|strong="G5620" was|strong="G3588" ending) that|strong="G5620" the|strong="G3588" people|strong="G0846" of|strong="G5207" Israel|strong="G2474" could|strong="G1410" not|strong="G3361" continue|strong="G1096" looking|strong="G0816" at|strong="G1722" his|strong="G0846" face|strong="G4383".
8 So|strong="G1722" surely the|strong="G3588" new agreement that|strong="G1510" comes|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1391" the|strong="G3588" life-giving Spirit|strong="G4151" has|strong="G4151" even|strong="G3123" more|strong="G3123" glory|strong="G1391".
9 This|strong="G3588" is|strong="G3588" what|strong="G3588" I|strong="G1487" mean: That|strong="G3123" old agreement judged people|strong="G4183" guilty of|strong="G1391" sin, but|strong="G1487" it had|strong="G3588" glory|strong="G1391". So|strong="G1063" surely the|strong="G3588" new agreement that|strong="G3123" makes people|strong="G4183" right|strong="G1343" with|strong="G3588" God|strong="G4183" has|strong="G4052" much|strong="G4183" greater|strong="G4183" glory|strong="G1391".
10 That|strong="G3778" old agreement had|strong="G3588" glory|strong="G1391". But|strong="G2532" it|strong="G3778" really loses its glory|strong="G1391" when|strong="G2532" it|strong="G3778" is|strong="G3778" compared to|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" much greater glory|strong="G1391" of|strong="G1391" the|strong="G3588" new agreement.
11 If|strong="G1487" the|strong="G3588" agreement that|strong="G1722" was|strong="G3588" brought to|strong="G1722" an end|strong="G2673" came|strong="G2673" with|strong="G1722" glory|strong="G1391", then|strong="G1063" the|strong="G3588" agreement that|strong="G1722" never|strong="G1487" ends has much|strong="G4183" greater|strong="G4183" glory|strong="G1391".
12 We|strong="G2192" are|strong="G5108" so|strong="G3767" sure of|strong="G1680" this|strong="G5108" hope|strong="G1680" that|strong="G3767" we|strong="G2192" can speak very|strong="G4183" openly|strong="G3954".
13 We|strong="G2532" are|strong="G3588" not|strong="G3756" like|strong="G2509" Moses|strong="G3475", who|strong="G3588" put|strong="G5087" a|strong="G5087" covering over|strong="G1909" his|strong="G0846" face|strong="G4383". He|strong="G2532" covered his|strong="G0846" face|strong="G4383" so|strong="G2532" that|strong="G0846" the|strong="G3588" people|strong="G0846" of|strong="G5207" Israel|strong="G2474" would|strong="G0846" not|strong="G3756" see it|strong="G0846". The|strong="G3588" glory was|strong="G3588" disappearing, and|strong="G2532" Moses|strong="G3475" did|strong="G5087" not|strong="G3756" want them|strong="G0846" to|strong="G1519" see it|strong="G0846" end|strong="G5056".
14 But|strong="G0235" their|strong="G0846" minds|strong="G3540" were|strong="G3588" closed. And|strong="G2250" even|strong="G1063" today|strong="G4594", when|strong="G1722" those|strong="G3588" people|strong="G0846" read|strong="G0320" the|strong="G3588" writings of|strong="G2250" the|strong="G3588" old|strong="G3820" agreement, that|strong="G3754" same|strong="G0846" covering hides the|strong="G3588" meaning. That|strong="G3754" covering has|strong="G5547" not|strong="G3361" been|strong="G3361" removed|strong="G2673" for|strong="G1063" them|strong="G0846". It|strong="G0846" is|strong="G3588" taken away|strong="G2673" only|strong="G0235" through|strong="G1722" Christ|strong="G5547".
15 Yes|strong="G0235", even|strong="G2193" today|strong="G4594", when|strong="G0846" they|strong="G0846" read|strong="G0314" the|strong="G3588" Law of|strong="G1909" Moses|strong="G3475", there is|strong="G3588" a|strong="G1909" covering over|strong="G1909" their|strong="G0846" minds|strong="G2588".
16 But|strong="G1161" when|strong="G1161" someone changes and|strong="G1161" follows the|strong="G3588" Lord|strong="G2962", that|strong="G1161" covering is|strong="G2962" taken|strong="G4014" away|strong="G4014".
17 The|strong="G3588" Lord|strong="G2962" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" Spirit|strong="G4151", and|strong="G1161" where|strong="G3757" the|strong="G3588" Spirit|strong="G4151" of|strong="G4151" the|strong="G3588" Lord|strong="G2962" is|strong="G1510", there|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" freedom|strong="G1657".
18 And|strong="G1161" our|strong="G3956" faces|strong="G4383" are|strong="G3956" not|strong="G1473" covered. We|strong="G2249" all|strong="G3956" show the|strong="G3956" Lord’s|strong="G2962" glory|strong="G1391", and|strong="G1161" we|strong="G2249" are|strong="G3956" being changed to|strong="G1519" be|strong="G3956" like|strong="G2509" him|strong="G0846". This|strong="G3588" change in|strong="G1519" us|strong="G1519" brings|strong="G1519" more|strong="G3956" and|strong="G1161" more|strong="G3956" glory|strong="G1391", which|strong="G3588" comes from|strong="G0575" the|strong="G3956" Lord|strong="G2962", who|strong="G3588" is|strong="G2962" the|strong="G3956" Spirit|strong="G4151".