Galatians 5

1 Christ has truly made us free: then keep your free condition and let no man put a yoke on you again.

Christ having made us gloriously free--stand fast and do not again be hampered with the yoke of slavery.

2 See, I Paul say to you, that if you undergo circumcision, Christ will be of no use to you.

Remember that it is I Paul who tell you that if you receive circumcision Christ will avail you nothing.

3 Yes, I give witness again to every man who undergoes circumcision, that he will have to keep all the law.

I once more protest to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation to obey the whole Law of Moses.

4 You are cut off from Christ, you who would have righteousness by the law; you are turned away 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 by faith are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

We have not, for through the Spirit we wait with longing hope for an acceptance with God which is to come through faith.

6 Because in Christ Jesus, having circumcision or not having circumcision are equally of no profit; but only faith working through love.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any importance; but only faith working through love.

7 You were going on well; who was the cause of your not giving ear to what is true?

You were running the race nobly! Who has interfered and caused you to swerve from the truth?

8 This ready belief did not come from him who had made you his.

No such teaching ever proceeded from Him who is calling you.

9 A little leaven makes a change in all the mass.

A little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough.

10 I am certain about you in the Lord, that you will be of no other mind; but he who is troubling you will have his punishment, whoever he is.

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 But I, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still attacked? then has the shame of the cross been taken away.

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 My desire is that they who give you trouble might even be cut off themselves.

Would to God that those who are unsettling your faith would even mutilate themselves.

13 Because you, brothers, were marked out to be free; only do not make use of your free condition to give the flesh its chance, but through love be servants one to 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 made complete in one word, even in this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.

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 you are given to fighting with one another, take care that you are not the cause of destruction one to another.

But if you are perpetually snarling and snapping at one another, beware lest you are destroyed by one another.

16 But I say, Go on in the Spirit, and you will not come under the rule of the evil desires 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 has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; because these are opposite the one to the other; so that you may not do the things which you have a mind to do.

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 you are guided by the Spirit, you 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 clear, which are these: evil desire, unclean things, wrong use of the senses,

Now you know full well the doings of our lower natures. Fornication, impurity, indecency, idol-worship, sorcery;

20 Worship of images, use of strange powers, hates, fighting, desire for what another has, angry feelings, attempts to get the better of others, divisions, false teachings,

enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of passion, intrigues, dissensions, factions, envyings;

21 Envy, uncontrolled drinking and feasting, and such things: of which I give you word clearly, even as I did in the past, that they who do such things will have no part in 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, a quiet mind, kind acts, well-doing, faith,

The Spirit, on the other hand, brings a harvest of love, joy, peace; patience towards others, kindness, benevolence;

23 Gentle behaviour, control over desires: against such there is no law.

good faith, meekness, self-restraint.

24 And those who are Christ's have put to death on the cross the flesh with its passions and its evil desires.

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 are living by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us be guided.

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 full of self-glory, making one another angry, having envy of one another.

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