2 Kwabasekhorinte 3
1 Siqala siphinde ukuziveza yini? Kumbe siyadinga yini, njengabanye, izincwadi zokusiveza kini, loba zokuvezwa okuvela kini?
DO we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some, commendatory letters to you, or commendatory letters from you?
2 Lina liyincwadi yethu, ebhalwe enhliziyweni zethu, eyaziwa ifundwe ngabantu bonke;
Ye are our letter written in our hearts, acknowledged and read of all men:
3 libonakalisa ukuthi liyincwadi kaKristu esetshenziswa yithi, ebhalwe hatshi ngeyinki, kodwa ngoMoya kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, kungeyisikho ezibhebheni zamatshe, kodwa ezibhebheni zenyama yenhliziyo.
because ye are manifestly seen to be the letter of Christ, of which we have been the secretaries, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tables of stone, but on the fleshly tables of the heart.
4 Lethemba elinjalo silalo ngoKristu kuNkulunkulu;
And such confidence have we through Christ towards God:
5 kungesikuthi siyenelisa thina ngokwethu ukucabanga ulutho njengoluvela kithi, kodwa ukwenelisa kwethu kuvela kuNkulunkulu;
not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account any thing of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.
6 owasenza futhi senelisa ukuba yizikhonzi zesivumelwano esitsha, esingeyisiso sokulotshiweyo kodwa esikaMoya; ngoba okulotshiweyo kuyabulala, kodwa uMoya uyaphilisa.
Who hath made us also able ministers of the new testament, not of the letter but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7 Kodwa uba inkonzo yokufa, emabaleni, abazwe ematsheni, yafikela enkazimulweni, kwaze kwathi abantwana bakoIsrayeli behluleka ukujolozela ubuso bukaMozisi ngenxa yenkazimulo yobuso bakhe, eyenziwa yaphela,
For if the ministry of death in letters graven on stone, was attended with glory, so that the children of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed upon the countenance of Moses, because of the glory of his countenance, though soon evanescent;
8 pho ingebe nkulu kangakanani inkonzo kaMoya enkazimulweni?
how much more will not the ministry of the Spirit be attended with glory?
9 Ngoba uba inkonzo yokulahlwa iyinkazimulo, kangakanani inkonzo yokulunga yengeziwe enkazimulweni.
For if the ministry of condemnation is glory, much more doth the ministry of righteousness excel in glory.
10 Ngoba lalokho okwake kwaba yinkazimulo, akuzange ngitsho kukhazimule ngalindlela, ngenxa yalinkazimulo eyidlulayo kakhulu.
For that which was glorious hath no glory, comparatively, because of the glory which excelleth.
11 Ngoba uba lokho okwenziwa kwaphela kulenkazimulo, kangakanani lokho okumiyo, kusenkazimulweni.
For if that which was abolished came in a glorious manner, much more is that which remaineth glorious.
12 Ngakho silethemba elinje, sisebenzisa isibindi esikhulu ekukhulumeni;
Having therefore such a hope, we use much freedom of speech.
13 njalo kasinjengoMozisi owafaka isimbombozo ebusweni bakhe, ukuze abantwana bakoIsrayeli bangajolozeli isiphetho sento eyenziwa yaphela;
And act not as Moses who spread a veil over his face, in order that the children of Israel might not look stedfastly to the end of that which should be abolished.
14 kodwa ingqondo zabo zenziwa lukhuni; ngoba kuze kube lamuhla isimbombozo esifananayo sihlezi ekufundeni isivumelwano esidala singambombozwanga, esenziwa saphela kuKristu.
But their understandings were darkened: for unto this day the same veil in their reading the old testament abideth unremoved; which veil is taken away by Christ.
15 Kodwa kuze kube lamuhla, nxa kufundwa uMozisi, isimbombozo siphezu kwenhliziyo yabo.
For unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is spread over their hearts.
16 Loba nini nxa ebuyela eNkosini, isimbombozo siyasuswa.
Nevertheless, when Israel shall turn unto the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
17 LeNkosi inguMoya; lalapho akhona uMoya weNkosi, lapho kukhona inkululeko.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 Thina-ke, sonke esilobuso obembuliweyo sibona inkazimulo yeNkosi esibukweni, siyaguqulelwa esimeni esifananayo sisuka enkazimulweni sisiya enkazimulweni, njengokuvela kuMoya weNkosi.
And we all with face unveiled, beholding the glory of the Lord reflected as in a mirror, according to the same image, receive a transformation from glory into glory, as by the Lord, the Spirit.
