Galatians 5

1 Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty with which the Messiah hath made us free; and be not subjected again to the yoke of bondage.

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

2 Behold, I Paul say to you, That if ye become circumcised, the Messiah is of no advantage to you.

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

3 And again, I testify to every one who becometh circumcised, that he is bound to fulfill 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 Ye have renounced the Messiah, ye who seek justification by the law: and ye have apostatized from grace.

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, through the Spirit, which is from faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

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

6 For, in the Messiah Jesus, circumcision is nothing, neither is uncircumcision, but the faith that is perfected by love.

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

7 Ye did run well: who hath interrupted you, that ye acquiesce not in the truth?

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

8 The bias of your mind is not from him who called you.

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

9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole mass.

A little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough.

10 I confide in you through our Lord, that ye will entertain no other thoughts. And he that disquieteth you, shall bear his judgment, 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 And I, my brethren, if I still preached circumcision, why should I suffer persecution? Hath the offensiveness of the cross ceased?

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 But I would, that they who disquiet you, were actually cut off.

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

13 And ye, my brethren, have been called into liberty: only let not your liberty be an occasion to the flesh; but, by love, be ye servants to each other.

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 For the whole law is fulfilled in one sentence; in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

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 ye bite and devour one another, beware, lest ye be consumed one by another.

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

16 And I say: Walk ye in the Spirit; and never follow the cravings of the flesh.

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 the flesh craveth that which is repugnant to the Spirit; and the Spirit craveth that which is repugnant to the flesh: and the two are the opposites of each other, so that ye do not that which ye desire.

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 ye are guided by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

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

19 For the works of the flesh are known, which are whoredom, impurity, lasciviousness,

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

20 idol-worship, magic, malice, contention, rivalry, wrath, strife, divisions, discords,

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

21 envy, murder, drunkenness, revelling, and all the like things. And they who perpetrate these things, as I have before told you, and also now tell you, do not inherit 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 fruits of the Spirit are, love, joy, peace, long suffering, suavity, kindness, fidelity, modesty, patience.

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

23 Against these there standeth no law.

good faith, meekness, self-restraint.

24 And they who are of the Messiah, have crucified their flesh, with all 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 Let us therefore live in the Spirit; and let us press on after the Spirit.

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

26 And let us not be vain-glorious, despising one another, and envying one another.

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