Galatians 3

1 You [fellow believers who live in] Galatia are very foolish! (Someone must have put an evil spell on you!/Did someone put an evil spell on you?) [RHQ] I clearly explained to you [SYN] [what] Jesus Christ [accomplished when] he was crucified {he died on the cross}.

Ihr unverständigen Galater! Wer hat euch denn behext der Wahrheit nicht zu gehorchen, euch, denen Jesus Christus vor Augen gezeichnet ward als der Gekreuzigte?

2 [So], I want you to tell me one thing: [Do you think that] it was because you obeyed the laws God gave Moses that you received the [Holy] Spirit? [Do you not know that] [RHQ] it was because [when you] heard [the good message concerning Christ, you] trusted in him?

Nur dieses eine möchte ich von euch wissen: Habt ihr den Geist empfangen durch Werke des Gesetzes oder durch die Botschaft des Glaubens?

3 (You are acting so foolishly/Why are you being so foolish?) [RHQ]! You first [became Christians] as a result of God’s Spirit [enabling you]. So, (you should not now think that it is by what you yourselves do that you will continue [to grow spiritually]/do you now think it is by your own human efforts that you will continue [to grow spiritually?]!) [RHQ]

Seid ihr denn so unverständig? Ihr habt im Geiste begonnen und wolltet nun im Fleisch enden?

4 Keep in mind that [if what God has done for you was because of your obeying the laws that God gave to Moses and] not because of trusting in Christ, when others caused you to suffer, you suffered many things needlessly! [RHQ] [I certainly hope that you did not suffer like that] needlessly.

So Schweres wolltet ihr umsonst erduldet haben?

5 [When God now] generously gives to you his Spirit and performs miracles among you, [do you think that it is] [RHQ] because you obey the laws [that God gave to Moses? Surely you know that] it is because when you heard [the good message about Christ], you trusted in him [RHQ]!

Wahrlich, umsonst! Der euch den Geist verleiht und Wunder bei euch wirkt, tut er das der Gesetzeswerke wegen oder aus dem Hören des Glaubens?

6 [What you have experienced is] as [Moses wrote in the Scriptures about] Abraham. [He wrote that Abraham] trusted God, and as a result, he was considered as being righteous {[God] erased the record of his sins}.

Es ist so wie bei Abraham: "Er glaubte Gott, und dies ward ihm als Gerechtigkeit angerechnet."

7 You must realize, therefore, that it is those who trust [in what Christ has done who] are [like] Abraham’s descendants [MET] [because they trust in God as Abraham did].

So wisset denn: die aus dem Glauben stammen, sind Kinder Abrahams.

8 Furthermore, God planned beforehand that it was [when] non-Jews trusted [him] that he would erase the record of their sins. [Moses wrote in] the Scriptures [PRS] this good message that God told Abraham: “Because of [what] you [did], I will bless [people in] [MTY] all nations.”

Da nun die Schrift vorausgesehen hat, daß Gott die Heiden rechtfertige aus dem Glauben, so verkündet sie von vornherein dem Abraham die frohe Kunde: "Alle Völker sollen in dir gesegnet werden."

9 So, [we can conclude that] it is those who trust [in what Christ has done] whom [God] blesses. That includes [all non-Jews and Jews who trust him], along with Abraham, the one who trusted him [long ago].

So werden also die, die aus dem Glauben kommen, mit Abraham, dem Glaubenden, gesegnet.

10 That is, God will eternally punish all those who [mistakenly] think [that God will erase the record of their sins] as a result of their [obeying] the laws [that God gave to Moses]. What is written in the Scriptures is that [God] will eternally punish everyone who does not continuously and completely obey all the laws [that Moses wrote].

Denn alle, die sich an Gesetzeswerke halten, stehen unter dem Fluche. Denn also steht geschrieben: "Verflucht sei jeder, der nicht alles treulich hält, was im Buche des Gesetzes vorgeschrieben ist, damit es gehalten werde."

11 But God has declared that if he erases the record of anyone’s sins, it will not be as a result of their obeying the laws God gave Moses. [This is evident because the Scriptures say], “Every person whose record of sins God erases because that person trusts God will live [spiritually].”

Daß aber niemand durch das Gesetz vor Gott gerecht wird, ist klar, denn: "Der aus dem Glauben Gerechte wird leben."

12 But [when God gave] his laws [to the Jews, he did] not [say that a person must] trust [him]. Instead, [God said that] it is those who obey [all God’s laws, continuously and completely], who will live.

Das Gesetz jedoch stammt nicht aus dem Glauben, denn also heißt es: "Wer das tut, wird dadurch leben."

13 Even though we humans have not continuously and completely obeyed God’s laws, Christ rescued us from [God] punishing us eternally. Christ rescued us by his being [the one God condemned] instead of God condemning us. What is written {[someone/Moses] wrote} [in the Scriptures] shows that this is true. It is written {[He] wrote}, “[God] has cursed anyone [whom people have executed for his crimes and whose body they] have hung on a tree.”

Von dem Fluche des Gesetzes hat uns Christus erlöst dadurch, daß er unseretwegen selbst zum Fluche ward, wie denn geschrieben steht: "Verflucht sei jeder, der am Holze hängt.'

14 Jesus Christ rescued us in order that as a result of what he [has done, God might bless the non-Jews, in a way similar to the way] God blessed Abraham. He also desired that as a result of our trusting [Christ], we [all] might receive the Spirit [whom God] promised to [give to] us.

So sollte denn der Segen Abrahams auf die Heiden übergehen in Christus Jesus: wir sollten durch den Glauben den verheißenen Geist empfangen.

15 My fellow believers, I will now [illustrate] by referring to human [relationships. After an agreement is confirmed by two people] {[two people have signed] an agreement}, no one can reject it or add to it.

Liebe Brüder, ich will ein Gleichnis aus dem Leben bringen: Ein Testament, das rechtsgültig ist, stößt niemand um, noch fügt man ihm einen Zusatz an.

16 [God] declared to Abraham and his descendant that he was promising [to give blessings to Abraham]. [The words that God spoke were not “and your] descendants.” [He was not] referring to many persons. Instead, he was referring to one person, who is Christ, [because the words that God spoke were], “and your descendant.”

Die Verheißungen wurden aber dem Abraham und seinem Nachkommen zugesagt. Nun heißt es nicht: "den Nachkommen" in der Mehrzahl, vielmehr in der Einzahl: "deinem Nachkommen"; damit ist Christus gemeint.

17 This is what I am saying: [Since God] gave the laws [to the Jews] 430 years after [he declared to Abraham what he was promising to do for Abraham], those laws do not cancel that agreement [with] Abraham that God himself had previously agreed about [PRS].

Ich denke nun, ein Testament, das früher schon durch Gott rechtskräftig ward, kann nicht durch das Gesetz, das erst vierhundertdreißig Jahre später kam, noch umgestoßen werden, so daß die Verheißung dadurch nichtig würde.

18 Remember that if it is because [we obey God’s] laws [that he gives to us] what [he has] promised [to give to us], then it is not [just] because he [has] promised [that he would give those things to us]. God freely gave to Abraham [what he had promised to give to him, just] because [God had] promised [that he would give it to him. Similarly, it is not because we obey God’s laws that God gives to us what he has promised to give to us].

Denn würde das Erbe durch Gesetz erlangt, dann käme es nicht mehr durch die Verheißung; dem Abraham jedoch hat Gott es durch Verheißung in Gnaden geschenkt.

19 So, [if someone should ask], “Why [did God later give] his laws [to Moses?” I would reply that] it was in order that [people might realize] how sinful they were. [Those laws were valid] until [Jesus came. He was] the descendant that God [was referring to when he made] the promises to Abraham. [The laws] were given {[God] gave [his laws]} [to Moses] by God’s causing angels to [speak to him. Moses was the] mediator, [the one who told the laws to the people].

Welchen Zweck hat aber dann das Gesetz? Es kam der Sünden wegen dazu, bis der Nachkomme auftreten würde, dem die Verheißung gilt. Durch Engel angeordnet, kam es aus der Hand eines Mittlers.

20 Now, [when] a mediator [functions], one [person] is not [speaking with another] directly; but God himself [made his promises directly to Abraham].

Ein Mittler ist aber nicht für einen allein da; Gott jedoch ist nur Einer.

21 [If someone should ask, “When God gave his] laws [to Moses] long [after he told Abraham] what he was promising [to give to him, was he] changing his mind?” [I would reply that God] certainly did not [change his mind when he did that]! If God had given a law that could enable people to live [eternally], then it actually would be because of people [obeying that] law that God would erase the record of their sins.

So stünde also das Gesetz im Widerspruch zu dem, was Gott verheißen hat? Gewiß nicht. Wenn ein Gesetz gegeben worden wäre, das Leben hätte schaffen können, dann käme in der Tat die Rechtfertigung aus dem Gesetze.

22 But instead, [what we read in] the Scriptures [PRS] is that God [caused all people to be unable to escape being punished for] their [sins] [MET], just like [people] in prison [are unable to escape] [PRS, MET]. [God did that in order that he might give what he promised to those who trust Jesus Christ, just] because they trust him.

Allein die Schrift hat alles unter Sünde eingeschlossen, damit die Verheißung den Gläubigen gegeben werde auf Grund des Glaubens an Jesus Christus.

23 Before [God revealed the good message about] trusting [in Christ], the laws [PRS] that God gave to Moses were [confining/imprisoning us Jews] [MET], [as] a prisoner [in jail is] confined. [We] were unable to escape [obeying those] [MET] [laws]. This happened in order that [we might believe] the good message [concerning Christ, the message that God would] reveal [later].

Denn bevor der Glaube kam, wurden wir unter dem Gesetz eingeschlossen, im Gewahrsam für den Glauben, der erst geoffenbart werden sollte.

24 [Like a father supervises his immature son by appointing a] servant to take care of him [MET], [God] was supervising us [by] his laws [MET, PRS] until Christ came. [He did this] in order that he might erase the record of our sins [only] because we trust [Christ].

So ward uns das Gesetz ein Erzieher zu Christus, damit wir gerecht würden durch den Glauben.

25 But [now that God] has revealed the message [about trusting in Christ], the laws [that God gave to Moses] are no longer supervising us [Jews] [PRS, MET].

Da aber jetzt der Glaube gekommen ist, stehen wir nicht mehr unter dem Erzieher.

26 Now all of you [Jews and] non-Jews are [as though you are] God’s children because you trusted Christ Jesus.

Denn ihr alle seid Kinder Gottes durch den Glauben an Christus Jesus.

27 That is, you who [began a relationship] with Christ when you were baptized identified yourselves [MET] with Christ.

Ihr alle, die ihr auf Christus getauft seid, habt Christus angezogen.

28 [If you are believers, it does] not [matter to God if you are] Jews or non-Jews; slaves or ones [who are] not slaves; males or females, because all of you are [as] one [sort of person because of your relationship] with Christ Jesus.

Jetzt gibt es nicht mehr Juden oder Heiden, nicht mehr Sklaven oder Freie, nicht mehr Mann noch Weib; denn ihr alle seid Einer in Christus Jesus.

29 Furthermore, since you belong to Christ, you are [like] Abraham’s descendants [because you trust God as Abraham did], and you will possess/receive all that God has promised [MET].

Wenn ihr aber Christus angehört, dann seid ihr Nachkommen Abrahams und Erben, wie es verheißen ward.