2 Kwabasekhorinte 3
1 Siqala siphinde ukuziveza yini? Kumbe siyadinga yini, njengabanye, izincwadi zokusiveza kini, loba zokuvezwa okuvela kini?
Do we begin again to recommend ourselves, except we need, as some, letters of recommendation unto you, or from you?
2 Lina liyincwadi yethu, ebhalwe enhliziyweni zethu, eyaziwa ifundwe ngabantu bonke;
our letter ye are, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
3 libonakalisa ukuthi liyincwadi kaKristu esetshenziswa yithi, ebhalwe hatshi ngeyinki, kodwa ngoMoya kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, kungeyisikho ezibhebheni zamatshe, kodwa ezibhebheni zenyama yenhliziyo.
manifested that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in the tablets of stone, but in fleshy tablets of the heart,
4 Lethemba elinjalo silalo ngoKristu kuNkulunkulu;
and such trust we have through the Christ toward God,
5 kungesikuthi siyenelisa thina ngokwethu ukucabanga ulutho njengoluvela kithi, kodwa ukwenelisa kwethu kuvela kuNkulunkulu;
not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as 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 also made us sufficient [to be] ministrants of a new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit; for the letter doth kill, and the spirit doth make 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,
and if the ministration of the death, in letters, engraved in stones, came in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look stedfastly to the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face — which was being made useless,
8 pho ingebe nkulu kangakanani inkonzo kaMoya enkazimulweni?
how shall the ministration of the Spirit not be more in glory?
9 Ngoba uba inkonzo yokulahlwa iyinkazimulo, kangakanani inkonzo yokulunga yengeziwe enkazimulweni.
for if the ministration of the condemnation [is] glory, much more doth the ministration of the righteousness abound in glory;
10 Ngoba lalokho okwake kwaba yinkazimulo, akuzange ngitsho kukhazimule ngalindlela, ngenxa yalinkazimulo eyidlulayo kakhulu.
for also even that which hath been glorious, hath not been glorious — in this respect, because of the superior glory;
11 Ngoba uba lokho okwenziwa kwaphela kulenkazimulo, kangakanani lokho okumiyo, kusenkazimulweni.
for if that which is being made useless [is] through glory, much more that which is remaining [is] in glory.
12 Ngakho silethemba elinje, sisebenzisa isibindi esikhulu ekukhulumeni;
Having, then, such hope, we use much freedom of speech,
13 njalo kasinjengoMozisi owafaka isimbombozo ebusweni bakhe, ukuze abantwana bakoIsrayeli bangajolozeli isiphetho sento eyenziwa yaphela;
and [are] not as Moses, who was putting a vail upon his own face, for the sons of Israel not stedfastly to look to the end of that which is being made useless,
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 unto this day the same vail at the reading of the Old Covenant doth remain unwithdrawn — which in Christ is being made useless —
15 Kodwa kuze kube lamuhla, nxa kufundwa uMozisi, isimbombozo siphezu kwenhliziyo yabo.
but till to-day, when Moses is read, a vail upon their heart doth lie,
16 Loba nini nxa ebuyela eNkosini, isimbombozo siyasuswa.
and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away.
17 LeNkosi inguMoya; lalapho akhona uMoya weNkosi, lapho kukhona inkululeko.
And 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.
and we all, with unvailed face, the glory of the Lord beholding in a mirror, to the same image are being transformed, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
