2 Kwabasekhorinte 3
1 Kanti sesiqala futhi ukuzethula na? Kumbe njengabanye abantu kumele sibe lezincwadi zokusikhulumela kini kumbe ezivela kini na?
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some do, letters of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Lina ngokwenu liyizincwadi zethu ezibhalwe ezinhliziyweni zethu, ezaziwayo lezifundwa ngumuntu wonke.
You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
3 Liyabonakalisa ukuba liyincwadi evela kuKhristu, isithelo sokutshumayela kwethu, engabhalwanga nge-inki kodwa ngoMoya kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, hatshi ezibhebhedwini zamatshe kodwa ezibhebhedwini zezinhliziyo zabantu.
you are well known to be a letter of Christ, written by us as his ministers, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
4 Ithemba elinjengaleli ngelethu ngoKhristu phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Now, confidence such as this we have, through the Christ, toward God;
5 Kungayisikho ukuthi siyenelisa ukwahlulela konke esikwenzayo kodwa ukwenelisa kwethu kuvela kuNkulunkulu.
not that we are able, of ourselves, to devise anything, as from ourselves; but our ability is from God,
6 Usiphe amandla okuba zinceku zesivumelwano esitsha, kungayisiso sokulotshiweyo kodwa esikaMoya; ngoba okulotshiweyo kuyabulala kodwa uMoya uletha ukuphila.
who has made us able ministers of the new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.
7 Nxa imfundiso eyaletha ukufa eyayibhalwe ngamabala elitsheni, yeza lenkazimulo, ukuze abako-Israyeli bangabukhangeli kokuphela ubuso bukaMosi ngenxa yenkazimulo yabo, lanxa nje yayisifiphala,
For if the ministering of death, by means of a covenant that was written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the sons of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, which glory was to come to an end:
8 kambe imfundiso kaMoya kayiyikuba lenkazimulo enkulu na?
how shall not the ministering of the spirit be more glorious?
9 Nxa imfundiso elahla abantu ilenkazimulo, pho inkulu kangakanani inkazimulo yemfundiso eletha ukulunga.
For if the ministering of condemnation be glory, much more does the ministering of righteousness surpass in glory.
10 Ngoba okwakulenkazimulo khathesi akuselayo inkazimulo kuqathaniswa lenkazimulo enkulu.
For that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that surpasses.
11 Njalo nxa okwakufiphala kwaletha inkazimulo, pho inkulu kangakanani inkazimulo yalokho okungulaphakade!
For if that which was to come to an end was glorious, much more that which is to remain is glorious.
12 Ngakho, njengoba silethemba elinje, silesibindi.
Since then we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech,
13 Thina kasinjengoMosi owamboza ubuso bakhe ukuze abako-Israyeli bangabukhangeli lapho inkazimulo yayisifiphala.
and do not as Moses did, who put a vail over his face, so that the sons of Israel could not steadily look to the end of that which was to come to an end.
14 Kodwa ingqondo zabo zathundubezwa, ngoba kuze kube lamhla lesosembeso sisala sikhona lapho isivumelwano esidala sibalwa. Kasisuswanga ngoba sisuswa ngoKhristu kuphela.
But their minds were blinded: for till this day, in the reading of the old covenant, the same vail remains not taken away, which vail is removed in Christ.
15 Langalolosuku nxa kubalwa umlayo kaMosi, isembeso sembesa inhliziyo zabo.
But to this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart:
16 Kodwa nxa umuntu ephendukela eNkosini, “isembeso siyasuswa.”
but whenever their heart shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17 INkosi inguMoya njalo lapho okuloMoya weNkosi khona, kulokukhululeka.
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 Njalo thina, sonke esibonakalisa inkazimulo yeNkosi ngobuso obungembeswanga, siguqulelwa ekufananeni layo ngenkazimulo ekhula kokuphela, evela eNkosini, enguMoya.
And we all, with unvailed face, reflecting the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit.
