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1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves?* Or surely we do not need, as some do, iggrot of haskama (letters of approval, commendation) to you or from you?† 2 You are our iggeret, written on our levavot, being known and being read by kol Bnei Adam.‡ 3 And you show that you are an iggeret from Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, prepared by us, having been written not with ink but with the Ruach Hakodesh of the Elohim Chayim, not on luchot of stone§ but on luchot of lev basar.*
4 Such is the bitachon (confidence) that we have through Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach toward Hashem. 5 Not that we are competent from ourselves to claim anything as of ourselves, but our competence is from Hashem,† 6 Who also made us competent as klei kodesh mesharetim (ministers) of a Brit Chadasha‡ — not b'khol chomer hadin (not by strict letter of the law, legalism), but of the Ruach Hakodesh: for kol chomer hadin (strict letter of the law) kills,§ but the Ruach Hakodesh gives Chayim —
7 Now if the Sherut avodas kodesh (ministry) of mavet chiseled in letters engraved on luchot of stone came with kavod, so that the Bnei Yisroel were not able to gaze into the face of Moshe* because of P'NI MOSHE KI KARON†(face of Moshe Rabbeinu that he was radiant) because of the kavod of his face, the kavod which is fading,‡ 8 Then how much more will the avodas kodesh ministry of the Ruach Hakodesh come in kavod (glory)? 9 For if there was kavod in the Sherut avodas kodesh of harsha'ah (condemnation),§ how much more abounds in kavod the ministry of tzedek,* 10 For indeed what once had kavod has lost its kavod† on account of the surpassing kavod (glory). 11 For if the thing which now is fading away came with kavod, much more has that which remains come in kavod.
12 Since, then, we have such a tikvah (hope), we act with much boldness. 13 And we are not as Moshe,‡ who was putting HAMASVEH AL PANAV§(the veil over his face) so that the Bnei Yisroel might not see the end of the fading kavod. 14 But their minds were hardened;* for until the present day the same veil remains at the Kri'at HaSefer Torah (the reading of Torah in shul), because the veil is taken away in Moshiach. 15 But even today, whenever Moshe† is being read, a veil lies on their levavot. 16 But whenever one turns to Adoneinu HAMASVEH is taken away.‡ 17 Now Adoneinu is HaRuach and where HaRuach Adoneinu is, there is cherut (freedom).§ 18 Now all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the kavod of Adoneinu* as if reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same demut from kavod to kavod, even as from HaAdon, HaRuach.
* 3:1 2C 5:12 † 3:1 Ac 18:27; Ro 16:1 ‡ 3:2 1C 9:2 § 3:3 Ex 24:12; 31:18; 32:15,16; 34:1; Dt 9:10,11 * 3:3 Jer 31:33 † 3:5 2C 2:16 ‡ 3:6 Jer 31:31 § 3:6 Dt 27:26; Ro 8:1 * 3:7 Rabbeinu † 3:7 Ex 34:35 ‡ 3:7 Ex 34:29-34 § 3:9 Dt 27:26; Ro 8:1 * 3:9 Dan 9:24 † 3:10 Ex 34:29-30 ‡ 3:13 Rabbeinu § 3:13 Ex 34:33,35 * 3:14 Ro 11:25 † 3:15 Rabbeinu ‡ 3:16 Ex 34:34; Isa 25:7; Ro 11:23-26 § 3:17 Isa 61:1,2; Yn 7:39; 8:32,36; Ro 8:2; Ga 5:1,13 * 3:18 Ex 16:7; 24:17