1 O you poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom—right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified?

¡Gálatas insensatos!, ¿quién os fascinó para no obedecer a la verdad, a vosotros ante cuyos ojos Jesucristo fue ya presentado claramente crucificado?

2 L et me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing and believing ?

Esto sólo quiero saber de vosotros: ¿Recibisteis el Espíritu por las obras de la Ley o por el escuchar con fe?

3 A re you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now reaching perfection on the flesh?

¿Tan insensatos sois? Habiendo comenzado por el Espíritu, ¿ahora vais a acabar por la carne?

4 H ave you suffered so many things and experienced so much all for nothing (to no purpose)—if it really is to no purpose and in vain?

¿Tantas cosas habéis padecido en vano? Si es que realmente fue en vano.

5 T hen does He Who supplies you with His marvelous Spirit and works powerfully and miraculously among you do so on what the Law demands, or because of your believing in and adhering to and trusting in and relying on the message that you heard?

Aquel, pues, que os da el Espíritu y hace maravillas entre vosotros, ¿lo hace por las obras de la Ley o por el oír con fe? El pacto de Dios con Abraham

6 T hus Abraham believed in and adhered to and trusted in and relied on God, and it was reckoned and placed to his account and credited as righteousness (as conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action).

Así Abraham creyó a Dios y le fue contado por justicia.

7 K now and understand that it is the people by faith who are sons of Abraham.

Sabed, por tanto, que los que tienen fe, éstos son hijos de Abraham.

8 A nd the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify (declare righteous, put in right standing with Himself) the Gentiles in consequence of faith, proclaimed the Gospel to Abraham in the promise, saying, In you shall all the nations be blessed.

Y la Escritura, previendo que Dios había de justificar por la fe a los gentiles, dio de antemano la buena nueva a Abraham, diciendo: «En ti serán benditas todas las naciones.»

9 S o then, those who are people of faith are blessed and made happy and favored by God with the believing and trusting Abraham.

De modo que los que tienen fe son bendecidos con el creyente Abraham.

10 A nd all who depend on the Law are under a curse and doomed to disappointment and destruction, for it is written in the Scriptures, Cursed (accursed, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment) be everyone who does not continue to abide (live and remain) by all the precepts and commands written in the Book of the Law and to practice them.

Todos los que dependen de las obras de la Ley están bajo maldición, pues escrito está: «Maldito sea el que no permanezca en todas las cosas escritas en el libro de la Ley, para cumplirlas.»

11 N ow it is evident that no person is justified (declared righteous and brought into right standing with God) through the Law, for the Scripture says, The man in right standing with God shall live by and out of faith and he who through and by faith is declared righteous and in right standing with God shall live.

Y que por la Ley nadie se justifica ante Dios es evidente, porque «el justo por la fe vivirá».

12 B ut the Law does not rest on faith, for it itself says, He who does them shall live by them.

Pero la Ley no procede de la fe, sino que dice: «El que haga estas cosas vivirá por ellas.»

13 C hrist purchased our freedom from the curse (doom) of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified);

Cristo nos redimió de la maldición de la Ley, haciéndose maldición por nosotros (pues está escrito: «Maldito todo el que es colgado en un madero»),

14 T o the end that through Christ Jesus, the blessing to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we through faith might receive the promise of the Spirit.

para que en Cristo Jesús la bendición de Abraham alcanzara a los gentiles, a fin de que por la fe recibiéramos la promesa del Espíritu.

15 T o speak in terms of human relations, brethren, even a man makes a last will and testament (a merely human covenant), no one sets it aside or makes it void or adds to it when once it has been drawn up and signed (ratified, confirmed).

Hermanos, hablo en términos humanos: Un pacto, aunque sea hecho por un hombre, una vez ratificado, nadie lo invalida, ni le añade.

16 N ow the promises (covenants, agreements) were decreed and made to Abraham and his Seed (his Offspring, his Heir). He does not say, And to seeds (descendants, heirs), as if referring to many persons, but, And to your Seed (your Descendant, your Heir), obviously referring to one individual, Who is Christ (the Messiah).

Ahora bien, a Abraham fueron hechas las promesas, y a su descendencia. No dice: «Y a los descendientes», como si hablara de muchos, sino como de uno: «Y a tu descendencia», la cual es Cristo.

17 T his is my argument: The Law, which began 430 years after the covenant, does not and cannot annul the covenant previously established (ratified) by God, so as to abolish the promise and make it void.

Esto, pues, digo: El pacto previamente ratificado por Dios en Cristo no puede ser anulado por la Ley, la cual vino cuatrocientos treinta años después; eso habría invalidado la promesa,

18 F or if the inheritance the Law, it no longer on the promise; however, God gave it to Abraham by virtue of His promise.

porque si la herencia es por la Ley, ya no es por la promesa; pero Dios se la concedió a Abraham mediante la promesa. El propósito de la Ley

19 W hat then was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions and of sin; and it was intended to be in effect until the Seed (the Descendant, the Heir) should come, to and concerning Whom the promise had been made. And it was arranged and ordained and appointed through the instrumentality of angels by the hand (in the person) of a go-between.

Entonces, ¿para qué sirve la Ley? Fue añadida a causa de las transgresiones, hasta que viniera la descendencia a quien fue hecha la promesa; y fue dada por medio de ángeles en manos de un mediador.

20 N ow a go-between (intermediary) has to do with and implies more than one party. Yet God is one Person.

Y el mediador no lo es de uno solo; pero Dios es uno.

21 I s the Law then contrary and opposed to the promises of God? Of course not! For if a Law had been given which could confer life, then righteousness and right standing with God would certainly have come by Law.

Entonces, ¿la Ley contradice las promesas de Dios? ¡De ninguna manera! Porque si la Ley dada pudiera vivificar, la justicia sería verdaderamente por la Ley.

22 B ut the Scriptures shut up and imprisoned by sin, so that which was promised through faith in Jesus Christ (the Messiah) might be given (released, delivered, and committed) to those who believe.

Pero la Escritura lo encerró todo bajo pecado, para que la promesa que es por la fe en Jesucristo fuera dada a los creyentes.

23 N ow before the faith came, we were perpetually guarded under the Law, kept in custody in preparation for the faith that was destined to be revealed (unveiled, disclosed),

Pero antes que llegara la fe, estábamos confinados bajo la Ley, encerrados para aquella fe que iba a ser revelada.

24 S o that the Law served as our trainer until Christ, that we might be justified (declared righteous, put in right standing with God) by and through faith.

De manera que la Ley ha sido nuestro guía para llevarnos a Cristo, a fin de que fuéramos justificados por la fe.

25 B ut now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer (the guardian of our childhood).

Pero ahora que ha venido la fe, ya no estamos bajo un guía,

26 F or in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.

porque todos sois hijos de Dios por la fe en Cristo Jesús,

27 F or as many as were baptized into Christ have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.

pues todos los que habéis sido bautizados en Cristo, de Cristo estáis revestidos.

28 T here is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Ya no hay judío ni griego; no hay esclavo ni libre; no hay hombre ni mujer, porque todos vosotros sois uno en Cristo Jesús.

29 A nd if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.

Y si vosotros sois de Cristo, ciertamente descendientes de Abraham sois, y herederos según la promesa.