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 a 2Ko 5:12; 12:11 b Bik 18:27Tutandike okwetendereza? Oba twetaaga ebbaluwa ez’okutusemba gye muli mmwe oba okuva gye muli ng’abalala? 23:2 1Ko 9:2Mmwe muli bbaluwa yaffe, ewandiikiddwa mu mitima gyaffe, emanyiddwa era esomebwa abantu bonna, 3ekiraga nti muli bbaluwa eva eri Kristo, enywezeddwa ffe, etaawandiikibwa na bwino, wabula na Mwoyo wa Katonda omulamu, si ku bipande eby’amayinja naye ku bipande by’emitima egy’omubiri.
43:4 Bef 3:12Obwo bwe bwesige bwe tulina eri Katonda nga tuyita mu Kristo. 53:5 1Ko 15:10Si lwa kubanga obwesige obwo buva mu ffe ku lwaffe, naye obwesige bwaffe buva eri Katonda, 63:6 a Luk 22:20 b Yk 6:63oyo ye yatusaanyiza okuba abaweereza b’endagaano empya etali ya nnukuta wabula ey’omwoyo. Kubanga ennukuta etta, naye omwoyo aleeta obulamu.
Ekitiibwa ekiri mu ndagaano empya
73:7 Kuv 34:29-35Kale obanga obuweereza bw’amateeka agaleeta okufa agaayolebwa ku mayinja bwaleetebwa n’ekitiibwa kingi, eri abaana ba Isirayiri, abantu ne batasobola na kutunula mu maaso ga Musa, olw’ekitiibwa ekyali kiva ku maaso ge, ekyali kigenda okuggwaako, 8kale obuweereza obw’omwoyo tebulisinga nnyo okuba obw’ekitiibwa? 93:9 a nny 7 b Bar 1:17; 3:21, 22Kuba obanga obuweereza bw’okusalirwa omusango bwa kitiibwa, obuweereza bw’obutuukirivu businga nnyo ekitiibwa. 10Kubanga ekyaweebwa ekitiibwa tekyakiweebwa mu kigambo kino. 11Kale obanga ekyo ekiggwaawo kaakano kyajja n’ekitiibwa, ekyo ekitaggwaawo kisinga nnyo ekitiibwa kya kiri ekyasooka.
123:12 Bef 6:19Olw’okuba n’essuubi eringi bwe lityo, kyetuva tuweereza n’obuvumu bungi, 133:13 nny 7; Kuv 34:33so si nga Musa eyeebikkanga ku maaso ge, abaana ba Isirayiri baleme okulaba ekitiibwa bwe kiggwaako. 143:14 a Bar 11:7, 8 b Bik 13:15 c nny 6Naye ebirowoozo byabwe byakkakkanyizibwa kubanga n’okutuusa leero ekibikka ku maaso ekyo kikyali kye kimu kye beebikkanga nga basoma endagaano enkadde, kye bakyebikako nga bagisoma, tekyababikkulirwa, kubanga kiggyibwawo mu Kristo. 15Naye n’okutuusa leero, Musa bye yawandiika bwe bisomebwa, emitima gyabwe giba gibikiddwako essuuka. 163:16 a Bar 11:23 b Kuv 34:34Naye buli muntu akyuka n’adda eri Mukama, abikkulwako essuuka eyo. 173:17 a Is 61:1, 2 b Yk 8:32Kale nno Mukama ye Mwoyo, era buli Omwoyo wa Mukama w’abeera, wabaawo eddembe. 183:18 a 1Ko 13:12 b 2Ko 4:4, 6 c Bar 8:29Kaakano ffe ffenna, amaaso gaffe nga gabikuddwa, ekitiibwa kya Katonda kyakaayakana mu ffe ng’endabirwamu emulisa ekitiibwa kye ne tukyusiibwa okumufaanana okuva mu kitiibwa okutuuka mu kitiibwa, ekiva eri Mukama waffe, Mwoyo.
