2 Kolinitō 3
1 He ʻoku mau toe kamata fakaongolelei atu ʻakimautolu? Pe ʻoku ʻaonga kiate kimautolu, ʻo hangē ko e niʻihi, ha tohi fakaongolelei atu kiate kimoutolu, pe ko e fakaongolelei mai meiate kimoutolu?
Am I beginning again to "recommend" myself? Or do I need, as some do, letters of commendation either to you or from you?
2 Ko ʻemau tohi ʻakimoutolu, kuo tohi ki homau loto, kuo ʻilo pea lau ʻe he kakai kotoa pē:
You are my letter, written on my heart, known and read by all men.
3 Kuo fakahā fakapapau atu ko e tohi ʻa Kalaisi ʻakimoutolu kuo meʻa ngāueʻaki ai ʻakimoutolu, kuo tohi kae ʻikai ʻaki ʻae vaitohi, ka ko e Laumālie ʻoe ʻOtua moʻui; ʻikai ʻi he ngaahi maka lafalafa, ka ʻi he kakano ʻoe loto.
Since all can see that you are a letter of Christ transcribed by men, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts as tablets.
4 Pea ko e meʻa ʻia Kalaisi ʻoku ai haʻamau tui pehē ki he ʻOtua:
Such confidence I have through Christ before God.
5 Kae ʻikai hangē ʻoku maʻu mafai ʻiate kimautolu ke mahalo ki ha meʻa meiate kimautolu; ka ko e maʻu mafai ʻoku mei he ʻOtua;
Not that I am sufficient in myself to reach any conclusion in my own wisdom; but my sufficiency is from God.
6 ʻAia foki kuo ne teuʻi ʻakimautolu ko e kau faifekau faʻa fai ʻoe fuakava foʻou; ʻikai ʻoe mataʻitohi, ka ʻoe laumālie: he ʻoku tāmateʻi ʻe he mataʻitohi, ka ʻoku foaki moʻui ʻe he laumālie.
It is he who has also made me sufficient as a minister of a new covenant; not of a letter but of a spirit; for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.
7 Pea kapau naʻe nāunauʻia ʻae ngāue ʻoe mate naʻe tohitongi ki he ngaahi maka, ʻaia naʻe ʻikai faʻa sio fakahangatonu ai ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli ki he mata ʻo Mōsese, ko e meʻa ʻi he malama ʻo hono mata; ʻaia naʻe pau ke ngata:
If, however, the administration of death, written with letters and engraved on stones, began in glory, so that the children of Israel could not gaze steadily on the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face - a glory even then fading -
8 Pea ʻe ʻikai lahi hake ʻaupito hono nāunau ʻoe ngāue ʻoe Laumālie?
how much more shall the ministry of the Spirit abide in glory?
9 He kapau ʻoku nāunauʻia ʻae ngāue ʻoe fakamalaʻia, pea ʻoku lahi hake ʻaupito hono nāunauʻia ʻoe ngāue ʻoe fakatonuhia.
For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, far more is the ministry of righteousness radiant in glory.
10 He ko ia naʻe ngaohi ke nāunauʻia, naʻe ʻikai hano nāunau ʻi he meʻa ni, ko e meʻa ʻi he nāunau ʻoku lahi hake.
Indeed that which once was glorious has lost its glory, because of the glory which surpasses it.
11 He kapau naʻe nāunauʻia ʻaia kuo fakaʻosi, tā ʻoku lahi ʻaupito hono nāunau ʻo ia ʻoku tuʻumaʻu.
For if that which was fading came in glory, far more will that which ever abides be glorious.
12 Pea ko ia ʻi heʻemau maʻu ʻae ʻamanaki lelei pehē, ʻoku mau lea ʻilongofua lahi ai.
Therefore, cherishing such a hope, I use great freedom of speech.
13 Pea ʻikai hangē ko Mōsese, naʻa ne ʻai ʻae pūlou ki hono mata, pea naʻe ʻikai faʻa sio fakamamaʻu atu ʻe he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli ki he ngataʻanga ʻo ia kuo fakaʻosi:
I do not do as Moses did, who used to cover his face with a veil to keep the children of Israel from beholding the passing of a fading glory.
14 Ka naʻe fakakui honau loto: he ʻoku aʻu ki he ʻaho ni, ʻoku kei tuʻumaʻu ʻo taʻeueʻi ʻae pūlou ko ia ʻi he lau ʻoe fuakava motuʻa: [ʻae pūlou ]ko ia kuo mole ʻia Kalaisi.
Nay, their minds were made dull; for to this very day, at the public reading of the Old Testament, the same veil rests thereon, because it is not revealed to them that in Christ the veil is taken away.
15 Ka ʻoku aʻu ki he ʻaho ni, ʻoku kei ʻi honau loto ʻae pūlou ʻi he lau ʻo Mōsese.
Yes, to this very day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies on their hearts;
16 Ka ko eni, “ʻOka tafoki ia ki he ʻEiki, ʻe toʻo atu ʻae pūlou.”
but when their heart turns to our Lord the veil is stripped away.
17 Pea “ko e ʻEiki” ʻae laumālie ko ia: pea ko ia ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae Laumālie ʻoe ʻEiki, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae tauʻatāina.
(The Lord means the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord abides there is freedom.)
18 Ka ʻoku tau vakai kotoa pē, ʻo mata taʻepūlou ʻi he sioʻata, ki he nāunau ʻoe ʻEiki, pea ʻoku tau liliu ki hono tatau mei he nāunau ki he nāunau, ʻi he Laumālie ʻoe ʻEiki.
And we all, with unveiled faces, reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are ourselves continually being transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as by the Lord, the Spirit.
