Galatians 3

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

You foolish Galatians! Whose sophistry has bewitched you--you to whom Jesus Christ has been vividly portrayed as on the Cross?

2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

Answer me this one question, "Is it on the ground of your obedience to the Law that you received the Spirit, or is it because, when you heard, you believed?"

3 Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh?

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now going to reach perfection through what is external?

4 Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing?

Have you endured such sufferings to no purpose--if indeed it has been to no purpose?

5 Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?

He who gives you His Spirit and works miracles among you--does He do so on the ground of your obedience to the Law, or is it the result of your having heard and believed:

6 So also, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

even as Abraham believed God, and his faith was placed to his account as righteousness?

7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham.

Notice therefore that those who possess faith are true sons of Abraham.

8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”

And the Scripture, foreseeing that in consequence of faith God would declare the nations to be free from guilt, sent beforehand the Good News to Abraham, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."

9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

So we see that it is those who possess faith that are blessed with believing Abraham.

10 All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

All who are depending upon their own obedience to the Law are under a curse, for it is written, "Cursed is every one who does not remain faithful to all the precepts of the Law, and practise them."

11 Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”

It is evident, too, that no one can find acceptance with God simply by obeying the Law, because "the righteous shall live by faith,"

12 The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”

and the Law has nothing to do with faith. It teaches that "he who does these things shall live by doing them."

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Christ has purchased our freedom from the curse of the Law by becoming accursed for us--because "Cursed is every one who is hanged upon a tree."

14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Our freedom has been thus purchased in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing belonging to Abraham may come upon the nations, so that through faith we may receive the promised Spirit.

15 Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended.

Brethren, even a covenant made by a man--to borrow an illustration from daily life--when once formally sanctioned is not liable to be set aside or added to.

16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.

(Now the promises were given to Abraham and to his seed. God did not say "and to seeds," as if speaking of many, but "and to your seed," since He spoke of only one--and this is Christ.)

17 What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise.

I mean that the Covenant which God had already formally made is not abrogated by the Law which was given four hundred and thirty years later--so as to annul the promise.

18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.

For if the inheritance comes through obedience to Law, it no longer comes because of a promise. But, as a matter of fact, God has granted it to Abraham in fulfilment of a promise.

19 Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.

Why then was the Law given? It was imposed later on for the sake of defining sin, until the seed should come to whom God had made the promise; and its details were laid down by a mediator with the help of angels.

20 A mediator is unnecessary, however, for only one party; but God is one.

But there cannot be a mediator where only one individual is concerned.

21 Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.

God, however, is only one. Is the Law then opposed to the promises of God? No, indeed; for if a Law had been given which could have conferred Life, righteousness would certainly have come by the Law.

22 But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

But Scripture has shown that all mankind are the prisoners of sin, in order that the promised blessing, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who believe.

23 Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.

Before this faith came, we Jews were perpetual prisoners under the Law, living under restraints and limitations in preparation for the faith which was soon to be revealed.

24 So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

So that the Law has acted the part of a tutor-slave to lead us to Christ, in order that through faith we may be declared to be free from guilt.

25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

But now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor-slave.

26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus;

27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

for all of you who have been baptized into Christ, have clothed yourselves with Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

In Him the distinctions between Jew and Gentile, slave and free man, male and female, disappear; you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

And if you belong to Christ, then you are indeed true descendants of Abraham, and are heirs in fulfilment of the promise.