Galaten 3
1 O gij uitzinnige Galaten, wie heeft u betoverd, dat gij der waarheid niet zoudt gehoorzaam zijn; denwelken Jezus Christus voor de ogen te voren geschilderd is geweest, onder u gekruist zijnde?
You [fellow believers who live in] Galatia are very foolish! (Someone must have put an evil spell on you!/Did someone put an evil spell on you?) [RHQ] I clearly explained to you [SYN] [what] Jesus Christ [accomplished when] he was crucified {he died on the cross}.
2 Dit alleen wil ik van u leren: hebt gij den Geest ontvangen uit de werken der wet, of uit de prediking des geloofs?
[So], I want you to tell me one thing: [Do you think that] it was because you obeyed the laws God gave Moses that you received the [Holy] Spirit? [Do you not know that] [RHQ] it was because [when you] heard [the good message concerning Christ, you] trusted in him?
3 Zijt gij zo uitzinnig? Daar gij met den Geest begonnen zijt, voleindigt gij nu met het vlees?
(You are acting so foolishly/Why are you being so foolish?) [RHQ]! You first [became Christians] as a result of God’s Spirit [enabling you]. So, (you should not now think that it is by what you yourselves do that you will continue [to grow spiritually]/do you now think it is by your own human efforts that you will continue [to grow spiritually?]!) [RHQ]
4 Hebt gij zoveel tevergeefs geleden? Indien maar ook tevergeefs!
Keep in mind that [if what God has done for you was because of your obeying the laws that God gave to Moses and] not because of trusting in Christ, when others caused you to suffer, you suffered many things needlessly! [RHQ] [I certainly hope that you did not suffer like that] needlessly.
5 Die u dan den Geest verleent, en krachten onder u werkt, doet Hij dat uit de werken der wet, of uit de prediking des geloofs?
[When God now] generously gives to you his Spirit and performs miracles among you, [do you think that it is] [RHQ] because you obey the laws [that God gave to Moses? Surely you know that] it is because when you heard [the good message about Christ], you trusted in him [RHQ]!
6 Gelijkerwijs Abraham Gode geloofd heeft, en het is hem tot rechtvaardigheid gerekend;
[What you have experienced is] as [Moses wrote in the Scriptures about] Abraham. [He wrote that Abraham] trusted God, and as a result, he was considered as being righteous {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
7 Zo verstaat gij dan, dat degenen, die uit het geloof zijn, Abrahams kinderen zijn.
You must realize, therefore, that it is those who trust [in what Christ has done who] are [like] Abraham’s descendants [MET] [because they trust in God as Abraham did].
8 En de Schrift, te voren ziende, dat God de heidenen uit het geloof zou rechtvaardigen, heeft te voren aan Abraham het Evangelie verkondigd, zeggende: In u zullen al de volken gezegend worden.
Furthermore, God planned beforehand that it was [when] non-Jews trusted [him] that he would erase the record of their sins. [Moses wrote in] the Scriptures [PRS] this good message that God told Abraham: “Because of [what] you [did], I will bless [people in] [MTY] all nations.”
9 Zo dan, die uit het geloof zijn, worden gezegend met den gelovigen Abraham.
So, [we can conclude that] it is those who trust [in what Christ has done] whom [God] blesses. That includes [all non-Jews and Jews who trust him], along with Abraham, the one who trusted him [long ago].
10 Want zovelen als er uit de werken der wet zijn, die zijn onder den vloek; want er is geschreven: Vervloekt is een iegelijk, die niet blijft in al hetgeen geschreven is in het boek der wet, om dat te doen.
That is, God will eternally punish all those who [mistakenly] think [that God will erase the record of their sins] as a result of their [obeying] the laws [that God gave to Moses]. What is written in the Scriptures is that [God] will eternally punish everyone who does not continuously and completely obey all the laws [that Moses wrote].
11 En dat niemand door de wet gerechtvaardigd wordt voor God, is openbaar; want de rechtvaardige zal uit het geloof leven.
But God has declared that if he erases the record of anyone’s sins, it will not be as a result of their obeying the laws God gave Moses. [This is evident because the Scriptures say], “Every person whose record of sins God erases because that person trusts God will live [spiritually].”
12 Doch de wet is niet uit het geloof; maar de mens, die deze dingen doet, zal door dezelve leven.
But [when God gave] his laws [to the Jews, he did] not [say that a person must] trust [him]. Instead, [God said that] it is those who obey [all God’s laws, continuously and completely], who will live.
13 Christus heeft ons verlost van den vloek der wet, een vloek geworden zijnde voor ons; want er is geschreven: Vervloekt is een iegelijk, die aan het hout hangt.
Even though we humans have not continuously and completely obeyed God’s laws, Christ rescued us from [God] punishing us eternally. Christ rescued us by his being [the one God condemned] instead of God condemning us. What is written {[someone/Moses] wrote} [in the Scriptures] shows that this is true. It is written {[He] wrote}, “[God] has cursed anyone [whom people have executed for his crimes and whose body they] have hung on a tree.”
14 Opdat de zegening van Abraham tot de heidenen komen zou in Christus Jezus, en opdat wij de belofte des Geestes verkrijgen zouden door het geloof.
Jesus Christ rescued us in order that as a result of what he [has done, God might bless the non-Jews, in a way similar to the way] God blessed Abraham. He also desired that as a result of our trusting [Christ], we [all] might receive the Spirit [whom God] promised to [give to] us.
15 Broeders, ik spreek naar den mens: zelfs eens mensen verbond, dat bevestigd is, doet niemand te niet, of niemand doet daartoe.
My fellow believers, I will now [illustrate] by referring to human [relationships. After an agreement is confirmed by two people] {[two people have signed] an agreement}, no one can reject it or add to it.
16 Nu zo zijn de beloftenissen tot Abraham en zijn zaad gesproken. Hij zegt niet: En den zaden, als van velen; maar als van een: En uw zade; hetwelk is Christus.
[God] declared to Abraham and his descendant that he was promising [to give blessings to Abraham]. [The words that God spoke were not “and your] descendants.” [He was not] referring to many persons. Instead, he was referring to one person, who is Christ, [because the words that God spoke were], “and your descendant.”
17 En dit zeg ik: Het verbond, dat te voren van God bevestigd is op Christus, wordt door de wet, die na vierhonderd en dertig jaren gekomen is, niet krachteloos gemaakt, om de beloftenis te niet te doen.
This is what I am saying: [Since God] gave the laws [to the Jews] 430 years after [he declared to Abraham what he was promising to do for Abraham], those laws do not cancel that agreement [with] Abraham that God himself had previously agreed about [PRS].
18 Want indien de erfenis uit de wet is, zo is zij niet meer uit de beloftenis; maar God heeft ze Abraham door de beloftenis genadiglijk gegeven.
Remember that if it is because [we obey God’s] laws [that he gives to us] what [he has] promised [to give to us], then it is not [just] because he [has] promised [that he would give those things to us]. God freely gave to Abraham [what he had promised to give to him, just] because [God had] promised [that he would give it to him. Similarly, it is not because we obey God’s laws that God gives to us what he has promised to give to us].
19 Waartoe is dan de wet? Zij is om der overtredingen wil daarbij gesteld, totdat het zaad zou gekomen zijn, dien het beloofd was; en zij is door de engelen besteld in de hand des Middelaars.
So, [if someone should ask], “Why [did God later give] his laws [to Moses?” I would reply that] it was in order that [people might realize] how sinful they were. [Those laws were valid] until [Jesus came. He was] the descendant that God [was referring to when he made] the promises to Abraham. [The laws] were given {[God] gave [his laws]} [to Moses] by God’s causing angels to [speak to him. Moses was the] mediator, [the one who told the laws to the people].
20 En de Middelaar is niet Middelaar van een, maar God is een.
Now, [when] a mediator [functions], one [person] is not [speaking with another] directly; but God himself [made his promises directly to Abraham].
21 Is dan de wet tegen de beloftenissen Gods? Dat zij verre; want indien er een wet gegeven ware, die machtig was levend te maken, zo zou waarlijk de rechtvaardigheid uit de wet zijn.
[If someone should ask, “When God gave his] laws [to Moses] long [after he told Abraham] what he was promising [to give to him, was he] changing his mind?” [I would reply that God] certainly did not [change his mind when he did that]! If God had given a law that could enable people to live [eternally], then it actually would be because of people [obeying that] law that God would erase the record of their sins.
22 Maar de Schrift heeft het alles onder de zonde besloten, opdat de belofte uit het geloof van Jezus Christus aan de gelovigen zou gegeven worden.
But instead, [what we read in] the Scriptures [PRS] is that God [caused all people to be unable to escape being punished for] their [sins] [MET], just like [people] in prison [are unable to escape] [PRS, MET]. [God did that in order that he might give what he promised to those who trust Jesus Christ, just] because they trust him.
23 Doch eer het geloof kwam, waren wij onder de wet in bewaring gesteld, en zijn besloten geweest tot op het geloof, dat geopenbaard zou worden.
Before [God revealed the good message about] trusting [in Christ], the laws [PRS] that God gave to Moses were [confining/imprisoning us Jews] [MET], [as] a prisoner [in jail is] confined. [We] were unable to escape [obeying those] [MET] [laws]. This happened in order that [we might believe] the good message [concerning Christ, the message that God would] reveal [later].
24 Zo dan, de wet is onze tuchtmeester geweest tot Christus, opdat wij uit het geloof zouden gerechtvaardigd worden.
[Like a father supervises his immature son by appointing a] servant to take care of him [MET], [God] was supervising us [by] his laws [MET, PRS] until Christ came. [He did this] in order that he might erase the record of our sins [only] because we trust [Christ].
25 Maar als het geloof gekomen is, zo zijn wij niet meer onder den tuchtmeester.
But [now that God] has revealed the message [about trusting in Christ], the laws [that God gave to Moses] are no longer supervising us [Jews] [PRS, MET].
26 Want gij zijt allen kinderen Gods door het geloof in Christus Jezus.
Now all of you [Jews and] non-Jews are [as though you are] God’s children because you trusted Christ Jesus.
27 Want zovelen als gij in Christus gedoopt zijt, hebt gij Christus aangedaan.
That is, you who [began a relationship] with Christ when you were baptized identified yourselves [MET] with Christ.
28 Daarin is noch Jood noch Griek; daarin is noch dienstbare noch vrije; daarin is geen man en vrouw; want gij allen zijt een in Christus Jezus.
[If you are believers, it does] not [matter to God if you are] Jews or non-Jews; slaves or ones [who are] not slaves; males or females, because all of you are [as] one [sort of person because of your relationship] with Christ Jesus.
29 En indien gij van Christus zijt, zo zijt gij dan Abrahams zaad, en naar de beloftenis erfgenamen.
Furthermore, since you belong to Christ, you are [like] Abraham’s descendants [because you trust God as Abraham did], and you will possess/receive all that God has promised [MET].
