Galater 3
1 O unverständige Galater! Wer hat euch bezaubert, denen Jesus Christus, als [unter euch] gekreuzigt, vor Augen gemalt wurde?
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}.
2 Dies allein will ich von euch lernen: Habt ihr den Geist aus Gesetzeswerken empfangen, oder aus der Kunde des Glaubens?
[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?
3 Seid ihr so unverständig? Nachdem ihr im Geiste angefangen habt, wollt ihr jetzt im Fleische vollenden?
(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]
4 Habt ihr so vieles vergeblich gelitten? wenn anders auch vergeblich?
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.
5 Der euch nun den Geist darreicht und Wunderwerke unter euch wirkt, ist es aus Gesetzeswerken oder aus der Kunde des Glaubens?
[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]!
6 Gleichwie Abraham Gott glaubte, und es ihm zur Gerechtigkeit gerechnet wurde.
[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}.
7 Erkennet denn: die aus Glauben sind, diese sind Abrahams Söhne.
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].
8 Die Schrift aber, voraussehend, daß Gott die Nationen aus Glauben rechtfertigen würde, verkündigte dem Abraham die gute Botschaft zuvor: “In dir werden gesegnet werden alle Nationen”.
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.”
9 Also werden die, welche aus Glauben sind, mit dem gläubigen Abraham gesegnet.
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].
10 Denn so viele aus Gesetzeswerken sind, sind unter dem Fluche; denn es steht geschrieben: “Verflucht ist jeder, der nicht bleibt in allem, was im Buche des Gesetzes geschrieben ist, um es zu tun!”
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].
11 Daß aber durch Gesetz niemand vor Gott gerechtfertigt wird, ist offenbar, denn “der Gerechte wird aus Glauben leben”.
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].”
12 Das Gesetz aber ist nicht aus Glauben, sondern: “Wer diese Dinge getan hat, wird durch sie leben”.
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.
13 Christus hat uns losgekauft von dem Fluche des Gesetzes, indem er ein Fluch für uns geworden ist (denn es steht geschrieben: “Verflucht ist jeder, der am Holze hängt!”);
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.”
14 auf daß der Segen Abrahams in Christo Jesu zu den Nationen käme, auf daß wir die Verheißung des Geistes empfingen durch den Glauben.
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.
15 Brüder, ich rede nach Menschenweise; selbst eines Menschen Bund, der bestätigt ist, hebt niemand auf oder verordnet etwas hinzu.
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.
16 Dem Abraham aber waren die Verheißungen zugesagt und seinem Samen. Er sagt nicht: “und den Samen”, als von vielen, sondern als von einem: “und deinem Samen”, welcher Christus ist.
[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.”
17 Dieses aber sage ich: Einen vorher von Gott bestätigten Bund macht das vierhundertdreißig Jahre danach entstandene Gesetz nicht ungültig, um die Verheißung aufzuheben.
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].
18 Denn wenn die Erbschaft aus Gesetz ist, so nicht mehr aus Verheißung: dem Abraham aber hat Gott sie durch Verheißung geschenkt.
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].
19 Warum nun das Gesetz? Es wurde der Übertretungen wegen hinzugefügt (bis der Same käme, dem die Verheißung gemacht war), angeordnet durch Engel in der Hand eines Mittlers.
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].
20 Ein Mittler aber ist nicht Mittler von einem; Gott aber ist einer.
Now, [when] a mediator [functions], one [person] is not [speaking with another] directly; but God himself [made his promises directly to Abraham].
21 Ist denn das Gesetz wider die Verheißungen Gottes? Das sei ferne! Denn wenn ein Gesetz gegeben worden wäre, das lebendig zu machen vermöchte, dann wäre wirklich die Gerechtigkeit aus Gesetz.
[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.
22 Die Schrift aber hat alles unter die Sünde eingeschlossen, auf daß die Verheißung aus Glauben an Jesum Christum denen gegeben würde, die da glauben.
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.
23 Bevor aber der Glaube kam, wurden wir unter dem Gesetz verwahrt, eingeschlossen auf den Glauben hin, der geoffenbart werden sollte.
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].
24 Also ist das Gesetz unser Zuchtmeister gewesen auf Christum hin, auf daß wir aus Glauben gerechtfertigt würden.
[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].
25 Da aber der Glaube gekommen ist, sind wir nicht mehr unter einem Zuchtmeister;
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].
26 denn ihr alle seid Söhne Gottes durch den Glauben an Christum Jesum.
Now all of you [Jews and] non-Jews are [as though you are] God’s children because you trusted Christ Jesus.
27 Denn so viele euer auf Christum getauft worden sind, ihr habt Christum angezogen.
That is, you who [began a relationship] with Christ when you were baptized identified yourselves [MET] with Christ.
28 Da ist nicht Jude noch Grieche, da ist nicht Sklave noch Freier, da ist nicht Mann und Weib; denn ihr alle seid einer in Christo Jesu.
[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.
29 Wenn ihr aber Christi seid, so seid ihr denn Abrahams Same und nach Verheißung Erben.
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].
