Galatians 5

1 It is for freedom that Christ set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not again be held under the yoke of slavery.

Christ having made us gloriously free--stand fast and do not again be hampered with the yoke of slavery.

2 Understand that I, Paul, myself tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will avail you nothing.

Remember that it is I Paul who tell you that if you receive circumcision Christ will avail you nothing.

3 I again declare to everyone who receives circumcision, that he binds himself to obey the whole Law.

I once more protest to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation to obey the whole Law of Moses.

4 You have severed yourselves from Christ – you who are seeking to be pronounced righteous through Law; you have fallen away from love.

Christ has become nothing to any of you who are seeking acceptance with God through the Law: you have fallen away from grace.

5 For we, by the help of the Spirit, are eagerly waiting for the fulfillment of our hope – that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

We have not, for through the Spirit we wait with longing hope for an acceptance with God which is to come through faith.

6 If we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither is circumcision nor the omission of it anything, but faith, working through love, is everything.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any importance; but only faith working through love.

7 You were once making good progress! Who has hindered you from obeying the truth?

You were running the race nobly! Who has interfered and caused you to swerve from the truth?

8 The persuasion brought to bear on you does not come from him who calls you.

No such teaching ever proceeded from Him who is calling you.

9 A little yeast leavens all the dough.

A little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough.

10 I, through my union with the Lord, am persuaded that you will learn to think with me. But the man who is disturbing your minds will have to bear his punishment, whoever he may be.

For my part I have strong confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt my view of the matter. But the man--be he who he may--who is troubling you, will have to bear the full weight of the judgement to be pronounced on him.

11 If I, friends, am still proclaiming circumcision, why am I still persecuted? It seems that the cross has ceased to be an obstacle!

As for me, brethren, if I am still a preacher of circumcision, how is it that I am still suffering persecution? In that case the Cross has ceased to be a stumbling-block!

12 I could even wish that the people who are unsettling you would go further still and mutilate themselves.

Would to God that those who are unsettling your faith would even mutilate themselves.

13 Remember, friends, to you the call came to give you freedom. Only, do not make your freedom an opportunity for self-indulgence but serve one another in a loving spirit.

You however, brethren, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an excuse for giving way to your lower natures; but become bondservants to one another in a spirit of love.

14 Indeed, the whole Law has been summed up in this one precept – ‘You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.’

For the entire Law has been obeyed when you have kept the single precept, which says, "You are to love your fellow man equally with yourself."

15 But, if you are continually wounding and preying on one another, take care that you are not destroyed by one another.

But if you are perpetually snarling and snapping at one another, beware lest you are destroyed by one another.

16 This is what I have to say – Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and then you will never gratify the cravings of your earthly nature.

This then is what I mean. Let your lives be guided by the Spirit, and then you will certainly not indulge the cravings of your lower natures.

17 For these cravings of our earthly nature conflict with the Spirit, and the Spirit with our earthly nature – they are two contrary principles – so that you cannot do what you wish.

For the cravings of the lower nature are opposed to those of the Spirit, and the cravings of the Spirit are opposed to those of the lower nature; because these are antagonistic to each other, so that you cannot do everything to which you are inclined.

18 But, if you follow the guidance of the Spirit, you are not subject to Law.

But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not subject to Law.

19 The sins of our earthly nature are unmistakable. They are sins like these – sexual immorality, impurity, indecency,

Now you know full well the doings of our lower natures. Fornication, impurity, indecency, idol-worship, sorcery;

20 idolatry, sorcery, quarrels, strife, jealousy, outbursts of passion, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of passion, intrigues, dissensions, factions, envyings;

21 feelings of envy, drunkenness, revelry, and the like. And I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who indulge in such things will have no place in the kingdom of God.

hard drinking, riotous feasting, and the like. And as to these I forewarn you, as I have already forewarned you, that those who are guilty of such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit produced by the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindliness, generosity, trustfulness, gentleness, self-control.

The Spirit, on the other hand, brings a harvest of love, joy, peace; patience towards others, kindness, benevolence;

23 Against such things there is no law!

good faith, meekness, self-restraint.

24 And those who belong to Jesus, the Christ, have already crucified their earthly nature, with its passions and its cravings.

Against such things as these there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their lower nature with its passions and appetites.

25 Since our life is due to the Spirit, let us rule our conduct also by the Spirit.

If we are living by the Spirit's power, let our conduct also be governed by the Spirit's power.

26 Do not let us grow vain, and provoke or envy one another.

Let us not become vain-glorious, challenging one another, envying one another.