Galatians 3

1 O thoughtless Galatians! who hath bewitched you, —before whose very eyes, Jesus Christ, was openly set forth as a crucified one?

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

2 This only, am I wishing to learn from you: —by works of law, received ye, the Spirit? or by a believed report?

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 So thoughtless, are ye? Having made a beginning in Spirit, are ye, now, in flesh, to be made complete?

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

4 Such things, suffered ye, in vain, —if at least [it is] even in vain?

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

5 He then who was supplying unto you the Spirit, and energising mighty works among you, by works of law, or by a believed report [did he it]?

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 Even as Abraham—believed in God, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.

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

7 Be taking note, therefore—that, they who are of faith, the same, are, sons, of Abraham;

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

8 And, the scripture, foreseeing, that, by faith, God would declare the nations righteous, fore-announced the good news unto Abraham, saying, All the nations shall be blessed in thee.

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 then, they who are of faith, are blessed with believing Abraham;

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

10 For, as many as are of works of law, are, under a curse, —for it is written—Accursed, is everyone that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them.

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 Moreover, that, in law, no one, is declared righteous with God, [is] evident, —because, The righteous one, by faith, shall live;

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 And, the law, is not of faith, but—he that hath done them, shall live in 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, hath redeemed, us, out of the curse of the law, having become, in our behalf, a curse; —because it is written—Cursed, is every one that hangeth upon 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 In order that, unto the nations, the blessing of Abraham, might come about in Jesus Christ, —in order that, the promise of the Spirit, we might receive through means of the faith.

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 Brethren! in human fashion, am I speaking: yet still, a man’s confirmed covenant, no one setteth aside or addeth unto:

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 Now, unto Abraham, were spoken the promises—and unto his seed; —He saith not—and unto thy seeds, as of many, but, as of one—and unto thy seed, which 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 And, this, I say—a covenant previously confirmed by God, the law which, after four hundred and thirty years, hath been brought into being, doth not annul, so as to do away with 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, by law, is the inheritance, it is, no longer, by promise; but, unto Abraham, through promise, hath God favoured it.

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, the law? Because of the transgressions, it was added, until such time as the seed should come, unto whom the promise had been made, and was given in charge through messengers, at the hand of 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 Now, a mediator, is not [a mediator] of one, but, God, is, one.

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

21 Is, the law, then, against the promises [of God]? Far be it! For, if a law had been given, which had been able to give life, verily, in law, would have been our righteousness;

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, did shut up, all things, under sin, that, the promise by faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to them who have faith,

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 the coming of the faith, however, under law, were we being kept in ward, being shut up unto the faith which should afterwards, 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 that, the law, hath proved, our tutor, training us, for Christ, in order that, by faith, we might be declared righteous;

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 But, the faith having come, no longer, are we, under a tutor; —

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

26 For ye, all, are, sons of God, through the faith in Christ Jesus;

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

27 For ye, as many as, into Christ, have been immersed, have put Christ, on:

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

28 There cannot be Jew or Greek, there cannot be bond or free, there cannot be male and female, for, all ye, are 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 Now, if, ye, are of Christ, by consequence ye are, Abraham’s seed, according to promise, heirs.

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