Galatians, 2

1. It was not until fourteen years had gone by that I travelled up to Jerusalem again, with Barnabas, and I took Titus with me too.

1. Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.

2. My journey was inspired by a revelation and there, in a private session with the recognised leaders, I expounded the whole gospel that I preach to the gentiles, to make quite sure that the efforts I was making and had already made should not be fruitless.

2. I went up by revelation; and I laid before them (but privately before those who were of repute) the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, lest somehow I should be running or had run in vain.

3. Even then, and although Titus, a Greek, was with me, there was no demand that he should be circumcised;

3. But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.

4. but because of some false brothers who had secretly insinuated themselves to spy on the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, intending to reduce us to slavery-

4. But because of false brethren secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage --

5. people we did not defer to for one moment, or the truth of the gospel preached to you might have been compromised. . .

5. to them we did not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

6. but those who were recognised as important people -- whether they actually were important or not: There is no favouritism with God -those recognised leaders, I am saying, had nothing to add to my message.

6. And from those who were reputed to be something (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) -- those, I say, who were of repute added nothing to me;

7. On the contrary, once they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been entrusted to me, just as to Peter the gospel for the circumcised

7. but on the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised

8. (for he who empowered Peter's apostolate to the circumcision also empowered mine to the gentiles),

8. (for he who worked through Peter for the mission to the circumcised worked through me also for the Gentiles),

9. and when they acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, then James and Cephas and John, who were the ones recognised as pillars, offered their right hands to Barnabas and to me as a sign of partnership: we were to go to the gentiles and they to they to the circumcised.

9. and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised;

10. They asked nothing more than that we should remember to help the poor, as indeed I was anxious to do in any case.

10. only they would have us remember the poor, which very thing I was eager to do.

11. However, when Cephas came to Antioch, then I did oppose him to his face since he was manifestly in the wrong.

11. But when Cephas came to Antioch I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

12. Before certain people from James came, he used to eat with gentiles; but as soon as these came, he backed out and kept apart from them, out of fear of the circumcised.

12. For before certain men came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.

13. And the rest of the Jews put on the same act as he did, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their insincerity.

13. And with him the rest of the Jews acted insincerely, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their insincerity.

14. When I saw, though, that their behaviour was not true to the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of all of them, 'Since you, though you are a Jew, live like the gentiles and not like the Jews, how can you compel the gentiles to live like the Jews?'

14. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

15. We who were born Jews and not gentile sinners

15. We ourselves, who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners,

16. have nevertheless learnt that someone is reckoned as upright not by practising the Law but by faith in Jesus Christ; and we too came to believe in Christ Jesus so as to be reckoned as upright by faith in Christ and not by practising the Law: since no human being can be found upright by keeping the Law.

16. yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified.

17. Now if we too are found to be sinners on the grounds that we seek our justification in Christ, it would surely follow that Christ was at the service of sin. Out of the question!

17. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not!

18. If I now rebuild everything I once demolished, I prove that I was wrong before.

18. But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor.

19. In fact, through the Law I am dead to the Law so that I can be alive to God. I have been crucified with Christ

19. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God.

20. and yet I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me. The life that I am now living, subject to the limitation of human nature, I am living in faith, faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

20. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

21. I am not setting aside God's grace as of no value; it is merely that if saving justice comes through the Law, Christ died needlessly.

21. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification were through the law, then Christ died to no purpose.