Galatians 5

1 Stand firm in the liberty with which Christ made us free, and be not again bound fast to the yoke of bondage.

It is for freedom that Christ set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not again be held under the yoke of slavery.

2 Behold, I Paul say to you, that if ye are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing;

Understand that I, Paul, myself tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will avail you nothing.

3 yea, I testify again to every one who becometh circumcised, that he is bound to keep the whole Law.

I again declare to everyone who receives circumcision, that he binds himself to obey the whole Law.

4 Ye are entirely separated from Christ, who seek to obtain righteousness through the Law; ye have fallen away from grace.

You have severed yourselves from Christ – you who are seeking to be pronounced righteous through Law; you have fallen away from love.

5 For we through the Spirit by faith steadfastly wait for the hope of righteousness.

For we, by the help of the Spirit, are eagerly waiting for the fulfilment of our hope – that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working by love.

If we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither is circumcision nor the omission of it anything, but faith, working through love, is everything.

7 Ye were running well; who hindered you, that ye should not obey the truth?

You were once making good progress! Who has hindered you from obeying the truth?

8 This persuasion came not from him that called you.

The persuasion brought to bear on you does not come from him who calls you.

9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

A little yeast leavens all the dough.

10 I indeed have confidence in regard to you in the Lord, that ye will be no otherwise minded; but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whoever he may be.

I, through my union with the Lord, am persuaded that you will learn to think with me. But the man who is disturbing your minds will have to bear his punishment, whoever he may be.

11 But as for me, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then hath the cross ceased to be a stumbling-block.

If I, friends, am still proclaiming circumcision, why am I still persecuted? It seems that the cross has ceased to be an obstacle!

12 Would that they who unsettle you would quite cut themselves off!

I could even wish that the people who are unsettling you would go further still and mutilate themselves.

13 For ye, brethren, were called to liberty; only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by your love serve one another.

Remember, friends, to you the call came to give you freedom. Only, do not make your freedom an opportunity for self-indulgence but serve one another in a loving spirit.

14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one commandment, even in this “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Indeed, the whole Law has been summed up in this one precept – “You must love your neighbour as you love yourself.”

15 But if ye bite and devour one another, beware lest ye be consumed by one another.

But, if you are continually wounding and preying on one another, take care that you are not destroyed by one another.

16 But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

This is what I have to say – Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and then you will never gratify the cravings of your earthly nature.

17 For the flesh hath desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these oppose one another, that ye may not do the things that ye would.

For these cravings of our earthly nature conflict with the Spirit, and the Spirit with our earthly nature – they are two contrary principles – so that you cannot do what you wish.

18 But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the Law.

But, if you follow the guidance of the Spirit, you are not subject to Law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest; such as fornication, uncleanness, wantonness,

The sins of our earthly nature are unmistakable. They are sins like these – sexual immorality, impurity, indecency,

20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, rivalry, outbursts of wrath, cabals, divisions, factions,

idolatry, sorcery, quarrels, strife, jealousy, outbursts of passion, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

21 envyings, drunkenness, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you beforehand, as I also told you in time past, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

feelings of envy, drunkenness, revelry, and the like. And I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who indulge in such things will have no place in the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

But the fruit produced by the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindliness, generosity, trustfulness, gentleness, self-control.

23 meekness, temperance; against such things as these there is no law.

Against such things there is no law!

24 And they who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts.

And those who belong to Jesus, the Christ, have already crucified their earthly nature, with its passions and its cravings.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Since our life is due to the Spirit, let us rule our conduct also by the Spirit.

26 Let us not become vain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

Do not let us grow vain, and provoke or envy one another.