2 Kwabasekhorinte 3
1 Siqala siphinde ukuziveza yini? Kumbe siyadinga yini, njengabanye, izincwadi zokusiveza kini, loba zokuvezwa okuvela kini?
Must we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some, letters of recommendation to you, or letters of recommendation from you?
2 Lina liyincwadi yethu, ebhalwe enhliziyweni zethu, eyaziwa ifundwe ngabantu bonke;
You are out letter, written on our hearts, known 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.
For you are plainly declared Christ's letter, ministered by us, written, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on fleshly tables of the heart.
4 Lethemba elinjalo silalo ngoKristu kuNkulunkulu;
Now we have such confidence through Christ, toward God;
5 kungesikuthi siyenelisa thina ngokwethu ukucabanga ulutho njengoluvela kithi, kodwa ukwenelisa kwethu kuvela kuNkulunkulu;
not that we are competent by ourselves to reckon anything as from ourselves: but our competency is from God,
6 owasenza futhi senelisa ukuba yizikhonzi zesivumelwano esitsha, esingeyisiso sokulotshiweyo kodwa esikaMoya; ngoba okulotshiweyo kuyabulala, kodwa uMoya uyaphilisa.
who has made us competent ministers of a new institution; not of letter, but of spirit: for the letter kills; but the spirit makes alive.
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 ministration of death in letters engraved on stone was with glory, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face, which was to be abolished;
8 pho ingebe nkulu kangakanani inkonzo kaMoya enkazimulweni?
how much rather shall not the ministration of the Spirit be with glory?
9 Ngoba uba inkonzo yokulahlwa iyinkazimulo, kangakanani inkonzo yokulunga yengeziwe enkazimulweni.
For if the ministration of condemnation was glorious, much more does the ministration of justification abound in glory.
10 Ngoba lalokho okwake kwaba yinkazimulo, akuzange ngitsho kukhazimule ngalindlela, ngenxa yalinkazimulo eyidlulayo kakhulu.
For, indeed, that which was glorified, was not glorified, in this respect, by reason of the transcendent glory.
11 Ngoba uba lokho okwenziwa kwaphela kulenkazimulo, kangakanani lokho okumiyo, kusenkazimulweni.
For if that which is abolished was with glory, much more that which continues, is with glory.
12 Ngakho silethemba elinje, sisebenzisa isibindi esikhulu ekukhulumeni;
Having, therefore, such confidence, we use great plainness of speech;
13 njalo kasinjengoMozisi owafaka isimbombozo ebusweni bakhe, ukuze abantwana bakoIsrayeli bangajolozeli isiphetho sento eyenziwa yaphela;
and not as Moses, who put a vail upon his face, that the children of Israel might not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished.
14 kodwa ingqondo zabo zenziwa lukhuni; ngoba kuze kube lamuhla isimbombozo esifananayo sihlezi ekufundeni isivumelwano esidala singambombozwanga, esenziwa saphela kuKristu.
Indeed, their minds were blinded: for, till this day, the same vail remains in the reading of the Old Institution; it not being discovered that it is abolished in Christ.
15 Kodwa kuze kube lamuhla, nxa kufundwa uMozisi, isimbombozo siphezu kwenhliziyo yabo.
Moreover, till this day, when Moses is read, the vail lies upon their heart.
16 Loba nini nxa ebuyela eNkosini, isimbombozo siyasuswa.
But when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken from around it.
17 LeNkosi inguMoya; lalapho akhona uMoya weNkosi, lapho kukhona inkululeko.
Now, the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 Thina-ke, sonke esilobuso obembuliweyo sibona inkazimulo yeNkosi esibukweni, siyaguqulelwa esimeni esifananayo sisuka enkazimulweni sisiya enkazimulweni, njengokuvela kuMoya weNkosi.
And we all, with unvailed face, beholding, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord; are transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Lord, the Spirit.
