3:1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some do, letters of commendation to you or from you?
我们岂是又开始推荐自己么?岂像有些人,需要给你们荐信,或由你们写荐信么?
3:2 You are our letter, inscribed in our hearts, known and read by all men,
你们就是我们的信,写在我们的心里,是众人所认识、所诵读的,
3:3 Since you are being manifested that you are a letter of Christ ministered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone but in tablets of hearts of flesh.
3:4 And such confidence we have through Christ toward God,
我们借着基督,对神有这样的深信。
3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,
并不是我们凭自己够资格将什么估计作像是出于我们自己的;我们之所以够资格,乃是出于神;
3:6 Who has also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
祂使我们够资格作新约的执事,这些执事不是属于字句,乃是属于灵,因为那字句杀死人,那灵却叫人活。
3:7 Moreover if the ministry of death, engraved in stone in letters, came about in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to gaze at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, a glory which was being done away with,
3:8 How shall the ministry of the Spirit not be more in glory?
何况那灵的职事,岂不更带着荣光?
3:9 For if there is glory with the ministry of condemnation, much more the ministry of righteousness abounds with glory.
若定罪的职事有荣光,那称义的职事,就越发充盈着荣光了。
3:10 For also that which has been glorified in this respect has not been glorified on account of the surpassing glory.
那从前得荣光的,在这一点上,因这超越的荣光,就算不得有荣光;
3:11 For if that which was being done away with was through glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
因为那渐渐废去的,如果是经过荣光的,这长存的就更多在荣光里了。
3:12 Therefore since we have such hope, we use much boldness,
所以,我们既有这样的盼望,就大大放胆,
3:13 And are not like Moses, who put a veil on his face so that the sons of Israel would not gaze at the end of that which was being done away with.
不像摩西将帕子蒙在脸上,为要叫以色列子孙,不能定睛看到那渐渐废去者的结局。
3:14 But their thoughts were hardened; for until the present day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant, it not being unveiled to them that the veil is being done away with in Christ.
3:15 Indeed unto this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart;
是的,直到今日,每逢诵读摩西书的时候,帕子还留在他们心上;
3:16 But whenever their heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
但他们的心几时转向主,帕子就几时除去了。
3:17 And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
而且主就是那灵;主的灵在那里,那里就有自由。
3:18 But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.