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.

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not again be put under the control of a yoke of slavery.

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

Look, I, Paul, say to you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will not benefit you in any way.

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

I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

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

You are cut off from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you no longer experience grace.

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

For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

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

In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but only faith working through love.

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

You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth?

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

This persuasion does not come from him who calls you!

9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump;

A little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise.

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.

I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is troubling you will pay the penalty, whoever he is.

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];

Brothers, if I still proclaim circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the stumbling block of the cross has been removed.

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

As for those who are disturbing you, I wish they would castrate themselves!

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 were called to freedom, brothers. But do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the sinful nature; rather, through love serve 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 is fulfilled in one command: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”

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

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

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

But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the sinful nature.

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 desires of the sinful nature are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the sinful nature. For these are in conflict with each other, so that you cannot do the things you want.

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

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

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

Now the works of the sinful nature are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity,

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

idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, rivalry, dissension, divisions,

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, drunken celebrations, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,

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

gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law.

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

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

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

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by 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.