Galatians, 5

1. For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

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.

2. It is I, Paul, who am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.

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

3. Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised that he is bound to observe the entire law.

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

4. You are separated from Christ, you who are trying to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

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.

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

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

6. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

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

7. You were running well; who hindered you from following (the) truth?

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

8. That enticement does not come from the one who called you.

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

9. A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.

9. A pinch of yeast ferments the whole batch.

10. I am confident of you in the Lord that you will not take a different view, and that the one who is troubling you will bear the condemnation, whoever he may be.

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.

11. As for me, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case, the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

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.

12. Would that those who are upsetting you might also castrate themselves!

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

13. For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.

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,

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

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

15. But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

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

16. I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.

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

17. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.

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.

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

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

19. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness,

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

20. idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions,

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

21. occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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.

22. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,

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

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

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

24. Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.

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

25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.

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

26. Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another.

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