Moses’ Face Shines

²⁹ It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the ^(A)two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that ^(B)the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. ³⁰ So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and ^(C)they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. ³² Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the Lord had spoken ^[a]to him on Mount Sinai. ³³ When Moses had finished speaking with them, ^(D)he put a veil over his face. ³⁴ But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, ^(E)he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, ^35 (F)the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.

⁷ But if the ^(A)ministry of death, ^(B)in letters engraved on stones, came ^[a]with glory, ^(C)so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, ⁸ how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? ⁹ For if ^(D)the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ^(E)ministry of righteousness abound in glory. ¹⁰ For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if that which fades away was ^[b]with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

^12 (F)Therefore having such a hope, ^(G)we use great boldness in our speech, ¹³ and are not like Moses, ^(H)who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. ¹⁴ But their minds were ^(I)hardened; for until this very day at the ^(J)reading of ^(K)the old covenant the same veil ^[c]remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. ¹⁵ But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; ^16 (L)but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where ^(M)the Spirit of the Lord is, ^(N)there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, ^(O)beholding as in a mirror the ^(P)glory of the Lord, are being ^(Q)transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from ^(R)the Lord, the Spirit.

Paul’s Apostolic Ministry

4 Therefore, since we have this ^(S)ministry, as we ^(T)received mercy, we ^(U)do not lose heart, ² but we have renounced the ^(V)things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or ^(W)adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth ^(X)commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.