Galatians 3

1 Vnwitti Galathies, tofor whos iyen Jhesu Crist is exilid, and is crucified in you, who hath disseyued you, that ye obeyen not to treuthe?

Foolish Galatians! Who has been enchanting you – you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was depicted on the cross?

2 This oneli Y wilne to lerne of you, whether ye han vndurfonge the spirit of werkis of the lawe, or of heryng of bileue?

Here is the one thing that I want to find out from you – Did you receive the Spirit as the result of obedience to Law, or of your having listened with faith?

3 So ye ben foolis, that whanne ye han bigunne in spirit, ye ben endid in fleisch.

Can you be so foolish? After beginning with what is spiritual, do you now end with what is external?

4 So grete thingis ye han suffrid without cause, if it be withoute cause.

Did you go through so much to no purpose? – if indeed it really was to no purpose!

5 He that yyueth to you spirit, and worchith vertues in you, whether of werkis of the lawe, or of hering of bileue?

He who supplies you abundantly with his Spirit and endows you with such powers – does he do this as the result of obedience to Law? Or as the result of your having listened with faith?

6 As it is writun, Abraham bileuede to God, and it was rettid to hym to riytfulnesse.

It is just as it was with Abraham – he had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.

7 And therfor knowe ye, that these that ben of bileue, ben the sones of Abraham.

You see, then, that those whose lives are based on faith are the sons of Abraham.

8 And the scripture seynge afer, that God iustifieth the hethene, of bileue told tofor to Abraham, That in thee alle the hethene schulen be blessid.

And scripture, foreseeing that God would pronounce the Gentiles righteous as the result of faith, foretold the good news to Abraham in the words – “Through you all the Gentiles will be blessed.”

9 And therfor these that ben of bileue, schulen be blessid with feithful Abraham.

And, therefore, those whose lives are based on faith share the blessings bestowed on the faith of Abraham.

10 For alle that ben of the werkis of the lawe, ben vndur curse; for it is writun, Ech man is cursid, that abidith not in alle thingis that ben writun in the book of the lawe, to do tho thingis.

All who rely on obedience to Law are under a curse, for scripture says – “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all that is written in the book of the Law, and do it.”

11 And that no man is iustified in the lawe bifor God, it is opyn, for a riytful man lyueth of bileue.

Again, it is evident that no one is pronounced righteous before God through Law, for we read – “Through faith the righteous will find life.”

12 But the lawe is not of bileue, but he that doith tho thingis of the lawe, schal lyue in hem.

But the Law is not based on faith; no, its words are – “Those who practice these precepts will find life through them.”

13 But Crist ayenbouyte us fro the curse of the lawe, and was maad acursid for vs; for it is writun, Ech man is cursid that hangith in the tre;

Christ ransomed us from the curse pronounced in the Law, by taking the curse on himself for us, for scripture says – “Cursed is anyone who is hanged on a tree.”

14 that among the hethene the blessyng of Abraham were maad in `Crist Jhesu, that we vndurfonge the biheeste of spirit thoruy bileue.

And this he did that the blessing given to Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through their union with Jesus Christ; that so, through our faith, we also might receive the promised gift of the Spirit.

15 Britheren, Y seie aftir man, no man dispisith the testament of a man that is confermed, or ordeyneth aboue.

To take an illustration, friends, from daily life – No one sets aside even an agreement between two people, when once it has been confirmed, nor do they add conditions to it.

16 The biheestis weren seid to Abraham and to his seed; he seith not, In seedis, as in many, but as in oon, And to thi seed, that is, Crist.

Now it was to Abraham that the promises were made, “and to his offspring.” It was not said “to his offsprings,” as if many persons were meant, but the words were “to your offspring,” showing that one person was meant – and that was Christ.

17 But Y seie, this testament is confermed of God; the lawe that was maad after foure hundrid and thritti yeer, makith not the testament veyn to auoide awei the biheest.

My point is this – An agreement already confirmed by God cannot be canceled by the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to cause the promise to be set aside.

18 For if eritage were of the lawe, it were not now of biheeste. But God grauntide to Abraham thoruy biheest.

If our heritage is the result of Law, then it has ceased to be the result of a promise. Yet God conferred it on Abraham by a promise.

19 What thanne the lawe? It was sett for trespassing, to the seed come, to whom he hadde maad his biheest. Whiche lawe was ordeyned bi aungels, in the hoond of a mediatour.

What, then, you ask, was the use of the Law? It was a later addition, to make people conscious of their wrongdoings, and intended to last only until the coming of that offspring to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by a mediator.

20 But a mediatour is not of oon. But God is oon.

Now mediation implies more than one person, but God is one only.

21 Is thanne the lawe ayens the biheestis of God? God forbede. For if the lawe were youun, that myyte quikene, verili were riytfulnesse of lawe.

Does that set the Law in opposition to God’s promises? Heaven forbid! For, if a Law had been given capable of bestowing life, then righteousness would have actually owed its existence to Law.

22 But scripture hath concludid alle thingis vndir synne, that the biheeste of the feith of Jhesu Crist were yyuen to hem that bileuen.

But the words of scripture represent the whole world as being in bondage to sin, so that the promised blessing, dependent, as it is, on faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who have faith in him.

23 And tofor that bileue cam, thei weren kept vndur the lawe, enclosid in to that bileue that was to be schewid.

Before the coming of faith, we were kept under the guard of the Law, in bondage, awaiting the faith that was destined to be revealed.

24 And so the lawe was oure vndirsmaister in Crist, that we ben iustified of bileue.

Thus the Law has proved a guide to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

25 But aftir that bileue cam, we ben not now vndur the vndurmaistir.

But now that faith has come we no longer need a guide.

26 For alle ye ben the children of God thoruy the bileue of Jhesu Crist.

For you are all sons of God, through your faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For alle ye that ben baptisid, ben clothid with Crist.

For all of you who were baptised into union with Christ clothed yourselves with Christ.

28 Ther is no Jewe, ne Greke, ne bond man, ne fre man, ne male, ne female; for alle ye ben oon in `Jhesu Crist.

All distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, have vanished; for in union with Christ Jesus you are all one.

29 And if ye ben oon in `Jhesu Crist, thanne ye ben the seed of Abraham, and eiris bi biheest.

And, since you belong to Christ, it follows that you are Abraham’s offspring and, under the promise, sharers in the inheritance.