Galatians 5

1 In the freedom, then, with which Christ made you free—stand, and do not be held fast again by a yoke of servitude.

stand firm then, and do not be again entangled in a yoke of bondage.

2 Behold! I, Paul, say to you, that if you are [to be] circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing;

Listen to me! I, Paul, declare to you that if you are to continue to follow the rite of circumcision, Christ will be no profit to you.

3 and I testify again to every man circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law;

I solemnly testify to every man who submits to circumcision that he obligates himself to keep the whole Law.

4 you were voided from the Christ, you who are declared righteous in law; you fell away from grace;

If you are being justified by law, you are cut off from Christ; you are fallen away from grace.

5 for we by the Spirit, by faith, wait for a hope of righteousness,

But we are not, for we through the Spirit are eagerly waiting by faith for a hope of righteousness (a hope well founded);

6 for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.

because in Christ neither circumcision has any value, nor uncircumcision, but faith which works through love.

7 You were running well; who hindered you [so as] not to obey the truth?

You were running your race nobly. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

8 The persuasion [is] not of Him who is calling you!

The influence brought to bear does not come from him who is calling you.

9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump;

A little leaven is leavening the whole lump.

10 I have confidence in regard to you in the LORD that you will not be otherwise minded; and he who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.

As for me, I am fully trusting you in the Lord that you will be no otherwise minded; but he who is trying to unsettle you will have to bear his punishment, whoever he may be.

11 And I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling-block of the Cross has been done away [with];

But I, brothers, if I "still preach circumcision," why am I still persecuted? Then surely the stumbling-block of the Cross has ceased to be an obstacle!

12 O that even they would cut themselves off who are unsettling you!

Would to God that those who are trying to unsettle you would even have themselves mutilated.

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers, only the freedom [is] not for an occasion to the flesh, but serve one another through the love,

For you, brothers, were called for freedom; only do not make your freedom an excuse for self-indulgence, but in love enslave yourselves to one another.

14 for all the Law is fulfilled in one word—in this: “You will love your neighbor as yourself”;

For the whole Law has been fulfilled in this one precept, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

15 and if you bite and devour one another, see that you may not be consumed by one another.

But if you are always biting and devouring one another, take heed lest you be utterly consumed one by another.

16 And I say, walk in the Spirit, and you may not fulfill the desire of the flesh;

This is my meaning. Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

17 for the flesh desires contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit contrary to the flesh, and these are opposed to one another, that the things that you may will—these you may not do;

For the desire of the flesh is against that of the Spirit, and the desire of the Spirit is against that of the flesh, for they two are antagonistic, so that you may not do those things that you wish.

18 and if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

But if you are habitually led by the Spirit you are not under law.

19 And the works of the flesh are also evident, which are: adultery, whoredom, uncleanness, licentiousness,

Now the works of the flesh are manifest; such, for instance, as fornication, impurity, indecency,

20 idolatry, witchcraft, enmities, strife, jealousy, wraths, rivalries, dissensions, sects,

idol-worship, sorcery, quarrels, party-spirit, jealousy, passionate anger, intrigues, factions, sectarianism,

21 envyings, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like, of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that those doing such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

envy, drunkenness, revelings, and things like these. I tell you beforehand, as I have already told you, that those who practise such sins shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 And the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,

But the harvest-fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long- suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness, and self-control;

23 meekness, [and] self-control. Against such there is no law;

against such there is no law.

24 and those who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the affections and the desires;

And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and appetites.

25 if we may live in the Spirit, we may also walk in the Spirit;

If we are living by the Spirit, let us also keep step in the Spirit.

26 let us not become vainglorious—provoking one another, envying one another!

Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.