Galatians 5
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with 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 be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
Remember that it is I Paul who tell you that if you receive circumcision Christ will avail you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do 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 Christ is become of no effect to you, whoever of you are justified by the law; ye have fallen 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 wait for the hope of righteousness by 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 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh 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 hindered you that ye should not obey the truth?
You were running the race nobly! Who has interfered and caused you to swerve from the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not from him that calleth you.
No such teaching ever proceeded from Him who is calling you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
A little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough.
10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be not otherwise minded: but he that troubleth 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, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then hath the offence 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 I would they were even cut off who trouble you.
Would to God that those who are unsettling your faith would even mutilate themselves.
13 For, brethren, ye have been called to liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
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 all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour 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, take heed that ye be not consumed one by another.
But if you are perpetually snarling and snapping at one another, beware lest you are destroyed by one another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust 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 lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
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 led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not subject to Law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Now you know full well the doings of our lower natures. Fornication, impurity, indecency, idol-worship, sorcery;
20 Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, wrath, contention, seditions, heresies,
enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of passion, intrigues, dissensions, factions, envyings;
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they who do such things shall 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 fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
The Spirit, on the other hand, brings a harvest of love, joy, peace; patience towards others, kindness, benevolence;
23 Meekness, self-control: against such there is no law.
good faith, meekness, self-restraint.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
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 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
If we are living by the Spirit's power, let our conduct also be governed by the Spirit's power.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Let us not become vain-glorious, challenging one another, envying one another.
