Galatians, 1

1. From Paul, an apostle appointed not by human beings nor through any human being but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead,

1. Paul an apostle -- not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead --

2. and all the brothers who are with me, to the churches of Galatia.

2. and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:

3. Grace and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ

3. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

4. who gave himself for our sins to liberate us from this present wicked world, in accordance with the will of our God and Father,

4. who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father;

5. to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

5. to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

6. I am astonished that you are so promptly turning away from the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are going over to a different gospel-

6. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel --

7. not that it is another gospel; except that there are trouble-makers among you who are seeking to pervert the gospel of Christ.

7. not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8. But even if we ourselves or an angel from heaven preaches to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let God's curse be on him.

8. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed.

9. I repeat again what we declared before: anyone who preaches to you a gospel other than the one you were first given is to be under God's curse.

9. As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.

10. Whom am I trying to convince now, human beings or God? Am I trying to please human beings? If I were still doing that I should not be a servant of Christ.

10. Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ.

11. Now I want to make it quite clear to you, brothers, about the gospel that was preached by me, that it was no human message.

11. For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man's gospel.

12. It was not from any human being that I received it, and I was not taught it, but it came to me through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

12. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13. You have surely heard how I lived in the past, within Judaism, and how there was simply no limit to the way I persecuted the Church of God in my attempts to destroy it;

13. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it;

14. and how, in Judaism, I outstripped most of my Jewish contemporaries in my limitless enthusiasm for the traditions of my ancestors.

14. and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

15. But when God, who had set me apart from the time when I was in my mother's womb, called me through his grace and chose

15. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace,

16. to reveal his Son in me, so that I should preach him to the gentiles, I was in no hurry to confer with any human being,

16. was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood,

17. or to go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me. Instead, I went off to Arabia, and later I came back to Damascus.

17. nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus.

18. Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to meet Cephas. I stayed fifteen days with him

18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days.

19. but did not set eyes on any of the rest of the apostles, only James, the Lord's brother.

19. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother.

20. I swear before God that what I have written is the truth.

20. (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)

21. After that I went to places in Syria and Cilicia;

21. Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cili'cia.

22. and was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judaea which are in Christ,

22. And I was still not known by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea;

23. they simply kept hearing it said, 'The man once so eager to persecute us is now preaching the faith that he used to try to destroy,'

23. they only heard it said, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."

24. and they gave glory to God for me.

24. And they glorified God because of me.