Do we begin again to ^acommend ourselves? or need we, as ^bsome others, ^cepistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? ²^dYe are our epistle written in our hearts, ^eknown and read of all men: ³Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ^fministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of ^gthe living God; not in ^htables of stone, but ⁱin fleshy tables of the heart.

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Footnotes

ach. 5:12. & 10:12, 18. & 12:11. See Rom. 16:1.
bComp. ch. 11:4.
cComp. Acts 18:27.
d 1 Cor. 9:2. So ver. 6.
e Acts 8:30 (Gk.).
fSo 1 Cor. 3:5.
gSee Ps. 42:2.
h Ex. 24:12. & 34:1. Deut. 10:1. ver. 7.
iSee Prov. 3:3. & Jer. 31:33.

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In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are Christ’s letter, delivered by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God—not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

NLTNew Living Translation

Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation to you or from you? You are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by all people, revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.