2 Kwabasekhorinte 3
1 Siqala siphinde ukuziveza yini? Kumbe siyadinga yini, njengabanye, izincwadi zokusiveza kini, loba zokuvezwa okuvela kini?
Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you?
2 Lina liyincwadi yethu, ebhalwe enhliziyweni zethu, eyaziwa ifundwe ngabantu bonke;
Ye are our epistle, written in 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.
being 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.
4 Lethemba elinjalo silalo ngoKristu kuNkulunkulu;
And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 kungesikuthi siyenelisa thina ngokwethu ukucabanga ulutho njengoluvela kithi, kodwa ukwenelisa kwethu kuvela kuNkulunkulu;
not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;
6 owasenza futhi senelisa ukuba yizikhonzi zesivumelwano esitsha, esingeyisiso sokulotshiweyo kodwa esikaMoya; ngoba okulotshiweyo kuyabulala, kodwa uMoya uyaphilisa.
who 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.
7 Kodwa uba inkonzo yokufa, emabaleni, abazwe ematsheni, yafikela enkazimulweni, kwaze kwathi abantwana bakoIsrayeli behluleka ukujolozela ubuso bukaMozisi ngenxa yenkazimulo yobuso bakhe, eyenziwa yaphela,
But if the ministration of death, written, [and] engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which [glory] was passing away:
8 pho ingebe nkulu kangakanani inkonzo kaMoya enkazimulweni?
how shall not rather 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 is glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 Ngoba lalokho okwake kwaba yinkazimulo, akuzange ngitsho kukhazimule ngalindlela, ngenxa yalinkazimulo eyidlulayo kakhulu.
For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth.
11 Ngoba uba lokho okwenziwa kwaphela kulenkazimulo, kangakanani lokho okumiyo, kusenkazimulweni.
For if that which passeth away [was] with glory, much more that which remaineth [is] in glory.
12 Ngakho silethemba elinje, sisebenzisa isibindi esikhulu ekukhulumeni;
Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,
13 njalo kasinjengoMozisi owafaka isimbombozo ebusweni bakhe, ukuze abantwana bakoIsrayeli bangajolozeli isiphetho sento eyenziwa yaphela;
and [are] not as Moses, [who] put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away:
14 kodwa ingqondo zabo zenziwa lukhuni; ngoba kuze kube lamuhla isimbombozo esifananayo sihlezi ekufundeni isivumelwano esidala singambombozwanga, esenziwa saphela kuKristu.
but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth unlifted; which [veil] is done away in Christ.
15 Kodwa kuze kube lamuhla, nxa kufundwa uMozisi, isimbombozo siphezu kwenhliziyo yabo.
But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart.
16 Loba nini nxa ebuyela eNkosini, isimbombozo siyasuswa.
But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
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 liberty.
18 Thina-ke, sonke esilobuso obembuliweyo sibona inkazimulo yeNkosi esibukweni, siyaguqulelwa esimeni esifananayo sisuka enkazimulweni sisiya enkazimulweni, njengokuvela kuMoya weNkosi.
But we all, with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.
