| 格林多後書 |
2 Corinthians |
| 1我們豈又開始舉薦我們自己嗎？或者，難道我們也應像某些人一般，需要給你們遞上薦書，或由你們寫薦書嗎？ |
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you? |
| 2你們就是我們的薦書，是寫在我們心上，為眾人所共知共讀的， |
2You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, |
| 3因為明顯地，你們就是我們供職所寫的基督的書信：不是用墨水寫的，而是以生活的天主聖神；不是寫在石版上，而是在血肉的心版上。 |
3 shown to be a letter of Christ administered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh. |
| 4我們藉着基督在天主前纔敢這樣自信， |
4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. |
| 5但這並不是說：我們憑自己能夠承擔什麼事，好似出於自己一般；而是說：我們所以夠資格，是出於天主， |
5Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God, |
| 6並且是他使我們能夠做新約的僕役：這約並不是在於文字，而是在於神，因為文字叫人死，神卻叫人活。 |
6who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life. |
| 7如果那以文字刻在石頭上而屬死的職務，尚且有過光榮──甚至以色列子民為了梅瑟面貌上易於消逝的光榮，不能注視他的面貌── |
7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, was so glorious that the Israelites could not look intently at the face of Moses because of its glory that was going to fade, |
| 8那麼，屬神的職務，豈不更該有光榮嗎？ |
8how much more will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious? |
| 9如果先前定罪的職務有過光榮，那麼，成義的職務更該多麼充滿光榮！ |
9For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory. |
| 10其實，那先前有過光榮的，因了這更超越的光榮，已算不得光榮了， |
10Indeed, what was endowed with glory has come to have no glory in this respect because of the glory that surpasses it. |
| 11因為如果那易於消逝的曾一度有過光榮，那麼，這常存的更該多麼有光榮！ |
11For if what was going to fade was glorious, how much more will what endures be glorious. |
| 12所以，我們既懷有這種希望，所以坦白行事， |
12Therefore, since we have such hope, we act very boldly |
| 13不像梅瑟一般，將帕子蒙在臉上，免得以色列子民看到那易於消逝的光榮的終結； |
13and not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not look intently at the cessation of what was fading. |
| 14但是他們的心意陷於遲鈍，因為直到今天，在讀《舊約》時，同樣的帕子仍然存在，沒有揭去，因為只有在基督內纔得除去； |
14Rather, their thoughts were rendered dull, for to this present day the same veil remains unlifted when they read the old covenant, because through Christ it is taken away. |
| 15而且直到今天，幾時讀梅瑟時，還有帕子蓋在他們的心上； |
15To this day, in fact, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, |
| 16他們幾時轉向主，帕子就會除掉。 |
16but whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed. |
| 17主就是那神：主的神在那裏，那裏就有自由。 |
17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. |
| 18我們眾人以揭開的臉面反映主的光榮的，漸漸地光榮上加光榮，都變成了與主同樣的肖像，正如由主，即神在我們內所完成的。 |
18 All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit. |
