Second Corinthians

«   Chapter 3   »

1
Have we started to commend ourselves again? Do we need letters of recommendation from you, or to you, like some people?
هَلْ أَخَذْنَا نَمْدَحُ أَنْفُسَنَا مِنْ جَدِيدٍ؟ هَلْ نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى رَسَائِلِ تَوْصِيَةٍ مِنْكُمْ أَوْ إِلَيْكُمْ، مِثْلَ بَعْضِ النَّاسِ؟
2
You are our letter of recommendation, written on your hearts. It is known and read by everyone.
أَنْتُمْ رِسَالَةُ تَوْصِيَتِنَا الْمَكْتُوبَةُ عَلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ، اَلْمَعْرُوفَةُ وَالْمَقْرُوءَةُ لَدَى الْجَمِيعِ،
3
It shows that you are a letter from Al-Masih that we reached. It is not written with ink, but with Ruh Allah Al-Hayy, and not on stone tablets, but on tablets of human hearts.
وَالَّتِي تُبَيِّنُ أَنَّكُمْ رِسَالَةٌ مِنَ الْمَسِيحِ بَلَّغْنَاهَا نَحْنُ، وَهِيَ مَكْتُوبَةٌ لَا بِالْحِبْرِ بَلْ بِرُوحِ اللهِ الْحَيِّ، وَلَيْسَ عَلَى أَلْوَاحٍ حَجَرِيَّةٍ بَلْ عَلَى أَلْوَاحِ الْقُلُوبِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ.
4
This is our confidence in Allah through Al-Masih.
هَذِهِ هِيَ ثِقَتُنَا بِاللهِ عَنْ طَرِيقِ الْمَسِيحِ.
5
We have no competence to claim anything springs from ourselves. Our competence is from Allah.
لَيْسَتْ لَنَا الْكَفَاءَةُ حَتَّى نَزْعُمَ شَيْئًا وَكَأَنَّهُ نَابِعٌ مِنَّا، بَلْ كَفَاءَتُنَا هِيَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ،
6
He made us competent servants of a new covenant. It is not a covenant of letters, but a spiritual one. The letter kills and Al-Ruh gives life.
اَلَّذِي جَعَلَنَا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْكَفَاءَةِ خُدَّامَ مِيثَاقٍ جَدِيدٍ، مِيثَاقٍ غَيْرِ حَرْفِيٍّ بَلْ رُوحِيٍّ، إِذِ الْحَرْفُ يُمِيتُ وَالرُّوحُ يُحْيِي،
7
The service that leads to death came with splendor. It is a service carved with letters on tablets of stone. Bani Israil were not able to stare at the face of Musa because of the splendor of his face, even though it was subject to perishing.
فَإِذَا كَانَتِ الْخِدْمَةُ الْمُؤَدِّيَةُ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ قَدْ أَتَتْ بِبَهَاءٍ، وَهِيَ خِدْمَةٌ مَنْقُوشَةٌ بِحُرُوفٍ عَلَى أَلْوَاحِ الْحَجَرِ، وَلَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنْ يُحَدِّقُوا فِي وَجْهِ مُوسَى بِسَبَبِ بَهَاءِ وَجْهِهِ، رَغْمَ قَابِلِيَّةِ ذَلِكَ الْبَهَاءِ لِلْفَنَاءِ،
8
How much more will the service of Al-Ruh have splendor.
فَكَمْ أَحْرَى بِخِدْمَةِ الرُّوحِ أَنْ تَكُونَ بَهِيَّةً؟
9
The service that leads to the verdict of punishment was characterized by splendor. So the service that leads to righteousness will overflow with splendor.
وَإِذَا كَانَتِ الْخِدْمَةُ الْمُؤَدِّيَةُ إِلَى حُكْمِ الْعِقَابِ قَدِ اتَّسَمَتْ بِالْبَهَاءِ، فَالْخِدْمَةُ الْمُؤَدِّيَةُ إِلَى الِاسْتِقَامَةِ تَفِيضُ بَهَاءً.
10
In this case, the service that had splendor will no more have splendor, since the exceeding splendor has surpassed it.
إِنَّمَا بِهَذَا الشَّكْلِ لَا يَعُودُ مِنْ بَهَاءٍ لِلْخِدْمَةِ الَّتِي كَانَ لَهَا بَهَاءٌ، إِذْ قَدْ تَجَاوَزَهَا الْبَهَاءُ الْفَائِقُ،
11
And as what passes away had splendor, how much more splendor will what remains have!
كَمَا أَنَّ الزَّائِلَ إِنْ كَانَ ذَا بَهَاءٍ، فَكَمْ أَحْرَى بِالْبَاقِي أَنْ يَكُونَ أَبْهَى!
12
Since we have this certain hope, our boldness to speak is great.
وَبِمَا أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمَلَ الْيَقِينَ هُوَ لَنَا، فَجُرْأَتُنَا عَلَى الْكَلَامِ كَبِيرَةٌ،
13
We are not like Musa, who veiled his face so that Bani Israil would not stare at the glory that was passing away.
وَلَسْنَا كَمُوسَى الَّذِي سَتَرَ وَجْهَهُ لِئَلَّا يُحَدِّقَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي الْبَهَاءِ الزَّائِلِ،
14
But their minds were covered with blindness, because that veil is still drawn and it is not taken away by hearing the reading of the old covenant. It is still there except through Al-Masih.
لَكِنَّ أَذْهَانَهُمْ غَشِيَهَا الْعَمَى، لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ السِّتَارَ مَا زَالَ مُسْدَلًا غَيْرَ مَرْفُوعٍ عِنْدَ سَمَاعِ قِرَاءَةِ الْمِيثَاقِ الْقَدِيمِ، وَهُوَ لَا يُزَالُ إِلَّا بِالْمَسِيحِ.
15
Until today, a veil covers their hearts on reading of the Tawrat of Musa.
وَحَتَّى يَوْمِنَا، يُحَجِّبُ سِتَارٌ قُلُوبَهُمْ عِنْدَ قِرَاءَةِ تَوْرَاةِ مُوسَى،
16
But when anyone repents to Al-Mawla, the veil is taken off.
وَلَكِنْ عِنْدَمَا يَتُوبُ أَحَدٌ إِلَى الْمَوْلَى، يُنْزَعُ السِّتَارُ.
17
Al-Mawla is Al-Ruh, and in the presence of the Ruh of Al-Mawla, we find freedom.
وَالْمَوْلَى هُوَ الرُّوحُ، وَفِي حُضُورِ رُوحِ الْمَوْلَى نَجِدُ الْحُرِّيَّةَ.
18
But we all, with an unveiled face, ponder the splendor of Al-Mawla reflected as in a mirror, and are changed into the same likeness through Al-Mawla, Ruh Allah, who causes us to increase more and more in splendor.
أَمَّا نَحْنُ جَمِيعًا، فَبِوَجْهٍ غَيْرِ مَحْجُوبٍ نَتَأَمَّلُ بَهَاءَ الْمَوْلَى الْمُنْعَكِسَ كَمَا فِي مِرْآةٍ، وَنَتَغَيَّرُ إِلَى نَفْسِ الصُّورَةِ بِوَاسِطَةِ الْمَوْلَى رُوحِ اللهِ الَّذِي يَزِيدُنَا بَهَاءً عَلَى بَهَاءٍ.