Galatians, 5

1. Christ set us free, so that we should remain free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be fastened again to the yoke of slavery.

1. For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2. I, Paul, give you my word that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all.

2. Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.

3. I give my assurance once again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law;

3. I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law.

4. once you seek to be reckoned as upright through the Law, then you have separated yourself from Christ, you have fallen away from grace.

4. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

5. We are led by the Spirit to wait in the confident hope of saving justice through faith,

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

6. since in Christ Jesus it is not being circumcised or being uncircumcised that can effect anything -- only faith working through love.

6. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.

7. You began your race well; who came to obstruct you and stop you obeying the truth?

7. You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

8. It was certainly not any prompting from him who called you!

8. This persuasion is not from him who calls you.

9. A pinch of yeast ferments the whole batch.

9. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

10. But I feel sure that, united in the Lord, you will not be led astray, and that anyone who makes trouble with you will be condemned, no matter who he is.

10. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine; and he who is troubling you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

11. And I, brothers -- if I were still preaching circumcision, why should I still be persecuted? For then the obstacle which is the cross would have no point any more.

11. But if I, brethren, still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the stumbling block of the cross has been removed.

12. I could wish that those who are unsettling you would go further and mutilate themselves.

12. I wish those who unsettle you would mutilate themselves!

13. After all, brothers, you were called to be free; do not use your freedom as an opening for self-indulgence, but be servants to one another in love,

13. For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another.

14. since the whole of the Law is summarised in the one commandment: You must love your neighbour as yourself.

14. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

15. If you go snapping at one another and tearing one another to pieces, take care: you will be eaten up by one another.

15. But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another.

16. Instead, I tell you, be guided by the Spirit, and you will no longer yield to self-indulgence.

16. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.

17. The desires of self-indulgence are always in opposition to the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are in opposition to self-indulgence: they are opposites, one against the other; that is how you are prevented from doing the things that you want to.

17. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would.

18. But when you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

18. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.

19. When self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: sexual vice, impurity, and sensuality,

19. Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,

20. the worship of false gods and sorcery; antagonisms and rivalry, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels, disagreements,

20. idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit,

21. factions and malice, drunkenness, orgies and all such things. And about these, I tell you now as I have told you in the past, that people who behave in these ways will not inherit the kingdom of God.

21. envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22. On the other hand the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness,

22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23. gentleness and self-control; no law can touch such things as these.

23. gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.

24. All who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified self with all its passions and its desires.

24. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25. Since we are living by the Spirit, let our behaviour be guided by the Spirit

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

26. and let us not be conceited or provocative and envious of one another.

26. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.