Servants of the New Covenant
1 Does this sound as if we were again boasting about ourselves? Could it be that, like some other people, we need letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are the letter we have, written on our hearts for everyone to know and read. 3 It is clear that Christ himself wrote this letter and sent it by us. It is written, not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, and not on stone tablets but on human hearts.
4 We say this because we have confidence in God through Christ. 5 There is nothing in us that allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work. The capacity we have comes from God; 6 it is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant, which consists not of a written law but of the Spirit. The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life.
7 The Law was carved in letters on stone tablets, and God's glory appeared when it was given. Even though the brightness on Moses' face was fading, it was so strong that the people of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed on him. If the Law, which brings death when it is in force, came with such glory, 8 how much greater is the glory that belongs to the activity of the Spirit! 9 The system which brings condemnation was glorious; how much more glorious is the activity which brings salvation! 10 We may say that because of the far brighter glory now the glory that was so bright in the past is gone. 11 For if there was glory in that which lasted for a while, how much more glory is there in that which lasts forever!
12 Because we have this hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who had to put a veil over his face so that the people of Israel would not see the brightness fade and disappear. 14 Their minds, indeed, were closed; and to this very day their minds are covered with the same veil as they read the books of the old covenant. The veil is removed only when a person is joined to Christ. 15 Even today, whenever they read the Law of Moses, the veil still covers their minds. 16 But it can be removed, as the scripture says about Moses: “His veil was removed when he turned to the Lord.” 17 Now, “the Lord” in this passage is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 18 All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.
Ovakarere vomerikutiropamwe omape
1 Mapeya amu ripura kutja eṱe matu utu okurihiva rukwao, posi ya ka tjiperi nao. Ovandu tjiva mave hepa otutuu otutjiukise tu matu i ku eṋe poo tu matu zu ku eṋe, nungwari eṱe katu nokuhepa otutuu otjaiho. 2 Eṋe oveni oweṋe orutuu rwetu orutjiukise ndwa tjangwa momitima vyetu kutja auhe e ru rese nu e ru zuve nawa. 3 Nu ongahukiro kutja eṋe oweṋe orutuu Kristus ndwa tjanga naru etwa i eṱe. Norutuu ndwi karu tjangerwe nomuti wokutjanga, nungwari rwa tjangwa nOmbepo ya Ndjambi omunamuinyo; karu tjangerwe movitjangero vyomawe, nungwari rwa tjangwa momitima vyovandu.
4 Eṱe matu tja nai tjinga atwe riyameka ku Ndjambi okuura mena ra Kristus. 5 Mu eṱe oveni katu nomasorero okuripura otjiṋa aayo matji zu mu eṱe oveni; omasorero ngu tu na wo ye za mu Ndjambi. 6 Eye ongwe tu pa omasorero wokurira ovakarere vomerikutiropamwe omape, nu omerikutiropamwe nga ka ezu mOmatwako nga tjangwa, nungwari ye za mOmbepo Ondjapuke. Omatwako wa Moses ye eta onḓiro, nungwari Ombepo ya Ndjambi i yandja omuinyo.
7 Omatwako wa Moses nge eta onḓiro, nu nga kororerwe movitjangero vyomawe mozoreṱera, ye ya nondjozikiro ya Ndjambi, ndja tjita Ovaisrael kutja ave ha yenenene okutara mu Moses mena rongeṋangeṋeno ndja keṋakeṋa tjinene momurungu wa Moses. Nomatwako nge eta onḓiro tji ye ya nongeṋangeṋeno onene nai, 8 indu ongeṋangeṋeno yotjiungura tjOmbepo ya Ndjambi kai nokurira onene tjinene komeho are? 9 Otjiungura tjoukarere ovandu tji ve pangurwa na tjo tja yenda mongeṋangeṋeno, nungwari ihi tjoukarere ovandu tji ve kuturwa na tjo tja kapita ihi otjitenga tjinene komeho mongeṋangeṋeno. 10 Indji ongeṋangeṋeno yanambano ndja kapita avihe tjinene komeho, kai sasanekwa na indji ndja ri ko rukuru. 11 Nu mu ihi tji tji kapita tjimanga tji mu nongeṋangeṋeno ya Ndjambi indu ongeṋangeṋeno ya Ndjambi kai nokukara ko tjinene komeho mu ihi tji tji karerera are?
12 Nu tjinga atu nomaundjiro nge ri nai, matu tjiti avihe nokuhinaoma. 13 Eṱe katu tjiti otja Moses ngwa kutjirire omurungu we newiwiri, kokutja Ovaisrael ave ha sora okumuna ongeṋangeṋeno amai yanda nokuzenga. 14 Kozondunge zawo kwa twirwe epoṱu, nu nga ku ndinondi ozondunge zawo wina ze kutjirwa newiwiri tjingero, tji mave rese omambo yomerikutiropamwe omakuru. Newiwiri ndi ri isiwa ko komundu ngwi porwe ngwa kambura mu Kristus. 15 Nu nga ku ndinondi wina aruhe Ovaisrael tji mave rese Omatwako wa Moses, ewiwiri ri kutjira ozondunge zawo. 16 Nungwari omatjangwa maye hungire Moses aye tja: “Aruhe eye tji ma tanaukire ku Muhona, ewiwiri mari isiwa ko.” 17 Nambano embo ndi “Muhona” poṋa mba mari hee “Ombepo”, nu pu pe nOmbepo ya Muhona pe nongutukiro. 18 Eṱe atuhe tu tara ongeṋangeṋeno ya Muhona aayo omotjiritarero, ewiwiri tjinga ara isiwa ko komirungu vyetu. Ombepo ya Muhona i tu tanaura okutusanisa kosaneno na Kristus. Ongeṋangeṋeno ndji keṋakeṋa mu eṱe i ryamena ko komurungu. Nu ihi tji tjitwa i Muhona ngu ri Ombepo.
