2 Wakorintho 3
1 Je, tunaanza tena kujipendekeza? Je, tunahitaji barua ya utambulisho kwenu, au kutoka kwenu, kama watu wengine?
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 Ninyi wenyewe ni barua yetu; barua iliyoandikwa mioyoni mwetu kila mtu aione na kuisoma.
You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
3 Ni dhahiri kwamba ninyi ni barua ya Kristo aliyoipeleka kwa mikono yetu. Barua yenyewe imeandikwa si kwa wino, bali kwa Roho wa Mungu hai; imeandikwa si juu ya kipande cha jiwe, bali juu ya mioyo ya watu.
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 Tunaweza kusema hayo kwa sababu ya tumaini letu tulilo nalo kwa Mungu kwa njia ya Kristo.
Now, confidence such as this we have, through the Christ, toward God;
5 Si kwamba sisi tunaweza kufanya chochote kwa nguvu zetu wenyewe, ila uwezo wetu wote hutoka kwa Mungu:
not that we are able, of ourselves, to devise anything, as from ourselves; but our ability is from God,
6 maana yeye ndiye aliyetuwezesha kulihudumia Agano Jipya ambalo si agano la sheria iliyoandikwa, bali Agano la Roho. Maana sheria iliyoandikwa huleta kifo, lakini Roho huleta uzima.
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 Sheria iliwekwa kwa kuandikwa juu ya vipande vya mawe. Ingawaje mwisho wake umekuwa kifo, utukufu wake ulikuwa mkuu mno hata wana wa Israeli wasiweze kuutazama uso wa Mose kwa sababu ya mng'ao wake. Tena mng'ao huo ulikuwa wa muda tu. Basi, ikiwa huduma ya kile ambacho kimesababisha kifo imefanyika kwa utukufu mwingi kiasi hicho,
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 basi, huduma ya Roho ina utukufu mkuu zaidi.
how shall not the ministering of the spirit be more glorious?
9 Ikiwa basi, kulikuwa na utukufu katika huduma ile iliyoleta hukumu, ni wazi kwamba huduma ile iletayo kukubaliwa kuwa waadilifu itakuwa na utukufu mkuu zaidi.
For if the ministering of condemnation be glory, much more does the ministering of righteousness surpass in glory.
10 Sasa utukufu mkuu zaidi umechukua nafasi ya ule utukufu uliokuja hapo awali, ambao fahari yake imekwisha toweka.
For that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that surpasses.
11 Maana ikiwa kile kilichokuwa cha muda tu kilikuwa na utukufu wake, bila shaka kile chenye kudumu milele kitakuwa na utukufu mkuu zaidi.
For if that which was to come to an end was glorious, much more that which is to remain is glorious.
12 Kwa vile hili ndilo tumaini letu, sisi twasema kwa uhodari mkuu.
Since then we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech,
13 Sisi hatufanyi kama Mose ambaye alilazimika kuufunika uso wake kwa kitambaa ili watu wa Israeli wasiuone ule mwisho wa mng'ao uliokuwa unafifia.
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 Lakini akili zao zilipumbazwa. Mpaka leo hii lisomwapo Agano la Kale, kifuniko hicho bado kipo. Kifuniko hicho kitaondolewa tu mtu anapoungana na Kristo.
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 Naam, mpaka hivi leo kila isomwapo Sheria ya Mose akili zao huwa zimefunikwa.
But to this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart:
16 Lakini, wakati mtu amgeukiapo Bwana, kifuniko hicho huondolewa.
but whenever their heart shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17 Hapa “Bwana” ni Roho; na pale alipo Roho wa Bwana ndipo ulipo uhuru.
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 Basi, sisi sote ambao nyuso zetu hazikufunikwa, twaonyesha kama katika kioo, utukufu wa Bwana; tunabadilishwa tufanane zaidi na huo mfano wake kwa utukufu mwingi zaidi. Hiyo ni kazi yake Roho wa Bwana.
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.
