1Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? unless we need, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or epistles of commendation from you?

2Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men;

3being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh.

4And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward:

5not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

6who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

7But if the ministration of death, written, and engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which glory was passing away:

8how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory?

9For if the ministration of condemnation is glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth.

11For if that which passeth away was with glory, much more that which remaineth is in glory.

12Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,

13and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his own face, that the children of Israel should not look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away:

14but their minds were hardened: for until this day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth unlifted; which thing is done away in Christ.

15But unto this day, when Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart.

16But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

17Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.