新约--哥林多后书(2 Corinthians)--第 3 章
3:1 我们岂是又举荐自己吗。岂像别人,用人的荐信给你们,或用你们的荐信给人吗。
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
3:2 你们就是我们的荐信,写在我们心里,被众人所知道所念诵的。
Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3:3 你们明显是基督的信,藉着我们修成的。不是用墨写的,乃是用永生神的灵写的。不是写在石版上,乃是写在心版上。
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the 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 fleshy tables of the heart.
3:4 我们因基督所以在神面前才有这样的信心,
And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
3:5 并不是我们凭自己能承担什么事,我们所能承担的,乃是出于神。
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
3:6 他叫我们能承当这新约的执事。不是凭着字句,乃是凭着精意。因为那字句是叫人死,精意是叫人活。(精意或作圣灵)。
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
3:7 那用字刻在石头上属死的职事,尚且有荣光,甚至以色列人因摩西面上的荣光,不能定睛看他的脸。这荣光原是渐渐退去的。
But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
3:8 何况那属灵的职事,岂不更有荣光吗。
How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
3:9 若是定罪的职事有荣光,那称义的职事,荣光就越发大了。
For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
3:10 那从前有荣光的,因这极大的荣光,就算不得有荣光了。
For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
3:11 若那废掉的有荣光,这长存的就有荣光了。
For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
3:12 我们既有这样的盼望,就大胆讲说,
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
3:13 不像摩西将帕子蒙在脸上,叫以色列人不能定睛看到那将废者的结局。
And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
3:14 但他们的心地刚硬。直到今日诵读旧约的时候,这帕子还没有揭去。这帕子在基督里已经废去了。
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
3:15 然而直到今日,每逢诵读摩西书的时候,帕子还在他们心上。
But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
3:16 但他们的心几时归向主,帕子就几时除去了。
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
3:17 主就是那灵。主的灵在那里,那里就得以自由。
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
3:18 我们众人既然倘着脸,得以看见主的荣光,好像从镜子里反照,就变成主的形状,荣上加荣,如同从主的灵变成的。
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.