Galatians 5

1 In the freedom, then, with which Christ did make you free — stand ye, and be not held fast again by a yoke of servitude;

stand firm then, and do not be again entangled in a yoke of bondage.

2 lo, I Paul do say to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing;

Listen to me! I, Paul, declare to you that if you are to continue to follow the rite of circumcision, Christ will be no profit to you.

3 and I testify again to every man circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law;

I solemnly testify to every man who submits to circumcision that he obligates himself to keep the whole Law.

4 ye were freed from the Christ, ye who in law are declared righteous; from the grace ye fell away;

If you are being justified by law, you are cut off from Christ; you are fallen away from grace.

5 for we by the Spirit, by faith, a hope of righteousness do wait for,

But we are not, for we through the Spirit are eagerly waiting by faith for a hope of righteousness (a hope well founded);

6 for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith through love working.

because in Christ neither circumcision has any value, nor uncircumcision, but faith which works through love.

7 Ye were running well; who did hinder you — not to obey the truth?

You were running your race nobly. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

8 the obedience [is] not of him who is calling you!

The influence brought to bear does not come from him who is calling you.

9 a little leaven the whole lump doth leaven;

A little leaven is leavening the whole lump.

10 I have confidence in regard to you in the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded; and he who is troubling you shall bear the judgment, whoever he may be.

As for me, I am fully trusting you in the Lord that you will be no otherwise minded; but he who is trying to unsettle you will have to bear his punishment, whoever he may be.

11 And I, brethren, if uncircumcision I yet preach, why yet am I persecuted? then hath the stumbling-block of the cross been done away;

But I, brothers, if I "still preach circumcision," why am I still persecuted? Then surely the stumbling-block of the Cross has ceased to be an obstacle!

12 O that even they would cut themselves off who are unsettling you!

Would to God that those who are trying to unsettle you would even have themselves mutilated.

13 For ye — to freedom ye were called, brethren, only not the freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through the love serve ye one another,

For you, brothers, were called for freedom; only do not make your freedom an excuse for self-indulgence, but in love enslave yourselves to one another.

14 for all the law in one word is fulfilled — in this: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;'

For the whole Law has been fulfilled in this one precept, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

15 and if one another ye do bite and devour, see — that ye may not by one another be consumed.

But if you are always biting and devouring one another, take heed lest you be utterly consumed one by another.

16 And I say: In the Spirit walk ye, and the desire of the flesh ye may not complete;

This is my meaning. Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

17 for the flesh doth desire contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit contrary to the flesh, and these are opposed one to another, that the things that ye may will — these ye may not do;

For the desire of the flesh is against that of the Spirit, and the desire of the Spirit is against that of the flesh, for they two are antagonistic, so that you may not do those things that you wish.

18 and if by the Spirit ye are led, ye are not under law.

But if you are habitually led by the Spirit you are not under law.

19 And manifest also are the works of the flesh, which are: Adultery, whoredom, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Now the works of the flesh are manifest; such, for instance, as fornication, impurity, indecency,

20 idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strifes, emulations, wraths, rivalries, dissensions, sects,

idol-worship, sorcery, quarrels, party-spirit, jealousy, passionate anger, intrigues, factions, sectarianism,

21 envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revellings, and such like, of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that those doing such things the reign of God shall not inherit.

envy, drunkenness, revelings, and things like these. I tell you beforehand, as I have already told you, that those who practise such sins shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 And the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,

But the harvest-fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long- suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness, and self-control;

23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law;

against such there is no law.

24 and those who are Christ's, the flesh did crucify with the affections, and the desires;

And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and appetites.

25 if we may live in the Spirit, in the Spirit also we may walk;

If we are living by the Spirit, let us also keep step in the Spirit.

26 let us not become vain-glorious — one another provoking, one another envying!

Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.