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Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declaredtobe the epistle of Christministeredbyus,writtennot with ink,but with the Spirit of the livingGod;notintables of stone,butinfleshytables of the heart.
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Notthat we aresufficientofourselves to think any thingasofourselves;butoursufficiency is ofGod;
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Whoalso hath madeusableministers of the newtestament;not of the letter,but of the spirit:for the letterkilleth, but the spirit giveth life.[a]
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Butif the ministration of death,writtenandengraveninstones,wasglorious*, so that the children of Israelcouldnot stedfastly behold the faceofMosesfor the glory of hiscountenance;which glory was to be done away:
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Howshallnot the ministration of the spiritberather*glorious?
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Forif the ministration of condemnation be glory,muchmore doth the ministration of righteousnessexceedinglory.
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Foreven that which was made glorious had nogloryinthisrespect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
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Forif that which is done away was glorious*, muchmore that which remaineth is glorious*.
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Seeing then that we havesuchhope, we usegreat plainness of speech:
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AndnotasMoses, which put a vailoverhisface,that the children of Israelcouldnot stedfastly lookto the end of that which is abolished:
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Buttheirminds were blinded: foruntil this dayremaineth the samevailuntakenawayin the reading of the oldtestament;which vail is done awayinChrist.
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Buteven unto this day,whenMoses is read, the vail is upon*theirheart.
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Neverthelesswhenit shall turnto the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
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Now the Lordis that Spirit:andwhere the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
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Butweall, with openface beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the sameimagefromglorytoglory, even asby the Spirit of the Lord.