1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The greater glory of the new covenant
7Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate3:18 Or reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
13:1 2Akor 5:12; Atũm 18:27Anga nĩtũraambĩrĩria gũcooka kwĩgaathĩrĩria? Kana hihi nĩtũbataire kũheo marũa ma gũtũgaathĩrĩria kũrĩ inyuĩ kana moimĩte kũrĩ inyuĩ ta andũ arĩa angĩ? 23:2 1Akor 9:2Inyuĩ ene nĩ inyuĩ marũa maitũ, maandĩkĩtwo ngoro-inĩ ciitũ, mamenyekete na magathomagwo nĩ andũ othe. 33:3 Math 16:16Inyuĩ nĩmuonanagia atĩ mũrĩ marũa moimĩte kũrĩ Kristũ, inyuĩ mũrĩ maciaro ma ũtungata witũ, marũa mataandĩkĩtwo na rangi, no maandĩkĩtwo na Roho wa Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ muoyo. Matiandĩkĩtwo ihengere-inĩ cia mahiga, no maandĩkĩtwo ihengere-inĩ cia ngoro cia andũ.
43:4 Aef 3:12Ũcio nĩguo ũũmĩrĩru witũ harĩ Ngai nĩ ũndũ wa Kristũ. 53:5 2Akor 2:16; 1Akor 15:10Na ti atĩ tũrĩ na ũhoti ithuĩ ene tũngĩĩgaathĩra, no ũhoti witũ uumaga kũrĩ Ngai. 63:6 Luk 22:20; Joh 6:63Nĩwe ũtũhotithĩtie tũtuĩke ndungata cia kĩrĩkanĩro kĩrĩa kĩerũ, nakĩo ti kĩa ũhoro ũrĩa mwandĩke, no nĩ kĩa Roho; nĩgũkorwo ũhoro ũrĩa mwandĩke nĩ kũũraga ũragaga, no Roho aheanaga muoyo.
Riiri wa Kĩrĩkanĩro kĩrĩa Kĩerũ
73:7 Thaam 34:29-35; Arom 4:15Na rĩrĩ, angĩkorwo ũtungata ũrĩa wa tene, ũrĩa wandĩkĩtwo na ndemwa ihengere-inĩ cia mahiga, wokire ũrĩ na riiri, o nginya andũ a Isiraeli makĩremwo nĩgũikara marorete ũthiũ wa Musa tondũ wa ũrĩa warĩ na riiri, o na gũtuĩka riiri ũcio nĩwathiraga-rĩ, 8githĩ ũtungata wa Roho to ũgĩkorwo ũkĩrĩ na riiri makĩria? 93:9 Arom 1:17; Gũcook 27:26Angĩkorwo ũtungata ũrĩa ũtuaga andũ ehia nĩ ũrĩ riiri-rĩ, githĩ ũtungata ũrĩa ũrehaga ũthingu ndũngĩgĩkorwo ũrĩ na riiri makĩria! 10Nĩgũkorwo ũhoro ũrĩa warĩ na riiri mbere, rĩu ndũrĩ na riiri ũkĩringithanio na riiri ũcio ũngĩ ũũkĩrĩte. 11Na angĩkorwo ũhoro ũcio wathiraga wokire na riiri-rĩ, ũcio ũngĩ wa gũtũũra ndũngĩgĩkorwo na riiri makĩria!
12Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, twaragia ũhoro tũũmĩrĩirie mũno, nĩ ũndũ wa kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro kĩu. 13Ithuĩ tũtitariĩ ta Musa, ũrĩa wehumbagĩra ũthiũ na gĩtambaya nĩguo agirĩrĩrie andũ a Isiraeli gũcũthĩrĩria ũthiũ wake rĩrĩa ũkengi ũcio wathiraga. 14No rĩrĩ, meciiria mao nĩmaritirio, nĩgũkorwo nginya ũmũthĩ gĩtambaya o kĩu gĩkoragwo o ho hĩndĩ ĩrĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩu gĩkũrũ kĩao gĩgũthomwo. Gĩtambaya kĩu gĩtirĩ kĩeherio, tondũ kĩeheragio nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩtĩkia Kristũ. 15O na nginya ũmũthĩ rĩrĩa watho wa Musa ũgũthomwo-rĩ, gĩtambaya kĩu no kĩhumbagĩra ngoro ciao. 163:16 Arom 11:23; Isa 25:7No rĩrĩa rĩothe mũndũ o na ũ agarũrũkĩra Mwathani-rĩ, gĩtambaya kĩu nĩkĩeheragio. 17Na rĩrĩ, Mwathani nĩwe Roho, na harĩa Roho wa Mwathani arĩ, hau nĩ harĩ na wĩyathi. 183:18 1Akor 13:12; 2Akor 4:4, 6; Arom 8:29Na ithuĩ ithuothe arĩa tũtahumbĩrĩte mothiũ maitũ, nĩtũhenahenagia riiri wa Mwathani ta tũrĩ icicio, na nĩtũgarũragwo nĩguo tũhaanane nake tũrĩ na riiri wa gũtũũra ũrĩa ũthiiaga o ũkĩongererekaga, o uumĩte kũrĩ Mwathani, ũrĩa arĩ we Roho.
