^3:1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? As if we have no need, as some people, letters of commendation to you^° or ones of commendation from you^°? ^3:2 You^° are our letter, which has been inscribed in our hearts, being known and being read by all men; ^3:3 being manifested that you^° are a letter of Christ, was served by us, not which has been inscribed with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets in fleshly hearts. ^3:4 Now we have such confidence through the Christ toward God; ^3:5 not that we are sufficient from ourselves, to reason anything as out-of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God; ^3:6 who also made us sufficient to be servants of a new covenant^*; not from the writing, but from the Spirit; for^* the writing kills, but the Spirit makes^* us alive. ^3:7 But if the service of death in scriptures engraved on stones happened in glory, so-as the sons of Israel are not able to stare at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, the glory which was being done-away-with. ^3:8 How will the service of the Spirit not rather be in glory? ^3:9 For^* if the service of the condemnation had glory, how much rather is the service of the righteousness abounding in glory. ^3:10 For^* even also the thing which has been glorified, has not been glorified in this respect, because of the glory which surpasses it. ^3:11 For^* if the thing is being done-away was through glory, the thing remaining is much more in glory.

{i.e., The old covenant given by Moses has been covered and removed by the new covenant.}

      ^3:12 Therefore, having such a hope, we are using it in much boldness, ^3:13 and are not just-as Moses, who was placing a veil upon his face, ^*that^* the sons of Israel might not stare at the end of the thing being done-away-with. {Exo 34:33} ^3:14 But their minds were hardened; for^* till today, the same veil remains upon the public-reading of the old covenant^*, not being unveiled, something which is done-away in Christ. ^3:15 But until this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil is laying upon their heart. ^3:16 But whenever it turns to the Lord, the veil is taken-away. ^3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ^3:18 But we all, with unveiled face seeing the reflection of the glory of the Lord, are being transfigured into the same image from glory into glory, just-as from the Lord and the Spirit.