God's New Agreement
1 Are we once again bragging about ourselves? Do we need letters to you or from you to tell others about us? Some people do need letters telling about them. 2 But you are our letter, and you are in our hearts for everyone to read and understand. 3 You are like a letter written by Christ and delivered by us. But you are not written with pen and ink or on tablets made of stone. You are written in our hearts by the Spirit of the living God.
4 We are sure about all this. Christ makes us sure in the very presence of God. 5 We don't have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all we do. 6 He makes us worthy to be the servants of his new agreement that comes from the Holy Spirit and not from a written Law. After all, the Law brings death, but the Spirit brings life.
7 The Law of Moses brought only the promise of death, even though it was carved on stones and given in a wonderful way. Still the Law made Moses' face shine so brightly the people of Israel could not look at it, even though it was a fading glory. 8 So won't the agreement the Spirit brings to us be even more wonderful? 9 If something that brings the death sentence is glorious, won't something that makes us acceptable to God be even more glorious? 10 In fact, the new agreement is so wonderful that the Law is no longer glorious at all. 11 The Law was given with a glory that faded away. But the glory of the new agreement is much greater, because it will never fade away.
12 This wonderful hope makes us feel like speaking freely. 13 We are not like Moses. His face was shining, but he covered it to keep the people of Israel from seeing the brightness fade away. 14 The people were stubborn, and something still keeps them from seeing the truth when the Law is read. Only Christ can take away the covering that keeps them from seeing.
15 When the Law of Moses is read, they have their minds covered over 16 with a covering that is removed only for those who turn to the Lord. 17 The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same, and the Lord's Spirit sets us free. 18 So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord's Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord.
Aayakuli yehangano epe
1 Otatu tameke ishewe okwiitanga? Pamwe otwa pumbwa, ngashika aantu yamwe, oontumwafo dhomaitumbaleko tadhi zi kutse nenge kune? 2 Ne omu li po ontumwafo yetu ya nyolelwa momitima dhetu, yi tseyike noyi leshwe kukehe gumwe. 3 Ontumwafo ndjika oya nyolwa kuKristus mwene nokwe yi tu pe, tu yi mu pe. Yo inayi nyolwa nohinga yo inaayi nyolelwa kiipelende yomamanya, ihe oya nyolelwa momitima dhaantu kOmbepo yaKalunga omunamwenyo. 4 Tse otatu popi oshinima shika, oshoka otwi inekela Kalunga molwaKristus. 5 Mutse kamu na nando osha shoka tashi vulu oku tu itangitha kutya otwa gwana okulonga oshilonga shika. Okuvula sha kwetu otaku zi kuKalunga. 6 Oshoka oye e tu ningi aayakuli yehangano epe ndyoka lyaa shi lyomompango ya nyolwa, ihe olyomOmbepo. Oshoka ompango ndjoka ya nyolwa otayi eta eso, ihe Ombepo otayi gandja omwenyo.
7 Uunyolo wompango owa li wa hokelwa miipelende yomamanya, neadhimo lyaKalunga olya li lya holoka pokugandjwa kwayo. Eadhimo ndika nando olya li tali ka dhimeya, uuyelele womoshipala shaMoses owa li owindji. Onkee Aaisraeli inaa vula okutongolola oshipala she. Ngele eyakulo lyompango, ndyoka lye eta eso, olya holoka li na eadhimo enene li thike mpoka, 8 nena uuwindji weadhimo ndyoka li li meyakulo tali wilikwa kOmbepo, otau kala u thike peni! 9 Oshoka ngele eyakulo ndyoka tali pangulile aantu meso, olya li li na eadhimo, ano eadhimo lyomeyakulo ndyoka tali mangulula aantu, otali kala li thike peni! 10 Eadhimo ndika li li po ngashingeyi, olyo enene shili li vule ndiyaka lyonale. 11 Oshoka ngele mushoka sha li sha kala owala okathimbo, omwa li mu na eadhimo, nena eadhimo ndyoka li li mushoka tashi kala aluhe, oli thike peni!
12 Ano sho tu na etegameno ndika, otatu popi nomukumo. 13 Tse inatu fa Moses, ngoka a li e na okusiikila oshipala she, opo Aaisraeli yaa wape okutala eadhimo nkene tali kana po. 14 Omadhiladhilo gawo oga li ga patwa. Osho ge li sigo onena ndjika, sho taa lesha omambo gomehangano ekulu. Oshisiikilo shika otashi kuthwa po owala, uuna omuntu ta hangana naKristus. 15 Sigo onena ndjika natango oshisiikilo osha siikila omadhiladhilo gawo, ngele taa lesha ompango yaMoses. 16 Ihe oshisiikilo otashi kuthwa po, ngaashi enyolo tali ti: “Oshisiikilo shaMoses ohashi kuthwa po aluhe, ngele ta yi koshipala shOmuwa.” 17 “Omuwa” menyolo ndika oye Ombepo. Mpoka pu na Ombepo yOmuwa, opu na emanguluko. 18 Tse atuhe otwa fa oshiitalelo tashi monikila eadhimo lyOmuwa ngoka e li Ombepo, notatu shitululwa, tu fe ondjelo ye mwene yeadhimo enenenene li vule agehe.
