1 O senseless Galatians, who has bewitched you; to whom, as before your very eyes, Jesus Christ has been portrayed, crucified ?

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?

2 T his only I wish to learn of you, Have ye received the Spirit on the principle of works of law, or of report of faith?

Let 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 ?

3 A re ye so senseless? having begun in Spirit, are ye going to be made perfect in flesh?

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

4 H ave ye suffered so many things in vain, if indeed also in vain?

Have 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?

5 H e therefore who ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, on the principle of works of law, or of report of faith?

Then 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?

6 E ven as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

Thus 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).

7 K now then that they that are on the principle of faith, these are Abraham's sons;

Know and understand that it is the people by faith who are sons of Abraham.

8 a nd the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations on the principle of faith, announced beforehand the glad tidings to Abraham: In thee all the nations shall be blessed.

And 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.

9 S o that they who are on the principle of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

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

10 F or as many as are on the principle of works of law are under curse. For it is written, Cursed is every one who does not continue in all things which written in the book of the law to do them;

And 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.

11 b ut that by law no one is justified with God evident, because The just shall live on the principle of faith;

Now 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.

12 b ut the law is not on the principle of faith; but, He that shall have done these things shall live by them.

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

13 C hrist has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, (for it is written, Cursed every one hanged upon a tree,)

Christ 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);

14 t hat the blessing of Abraham might come to the nations in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

To 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.

15 B rethren, (I speak according to man,) even man's confirmed covenant no one sets aside, or adds other dispositions to.

To 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).

16 B ut to Abraham were the promises addressed, and to his seed: he does not say, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed; which is Christ.

Now 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).

17 N ow I say this, A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which took place four hundred and thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect.

This 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.

18 F or if the inheritance on the principle of law, no longer on the principle of promise; but God gave it in grace to Abraham by promise.

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

19 W hy then the law? It was added for the sake of transgressions, until the seed came to whom the promise was made, ordained through angels in hand of a mediator.

What 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.

20 B ut a mediator is not of one, but God is one.

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

21 t hen the law against the promises of God? Far be the thought. For if a law had been given able to quicken, then indeed righteousness were on the principle of law;

Is 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.

22 b ut the scripture has shut up all things under sin, that the promise, on the principle of faith of Jesus Christ, should be given to those that believe.

But 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.

23 B ut before faith came, we were guarded under law, shut up to faith about to be revealed.

Now 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),

24 S o that the law has been our tutor up to Christ, that we might be justified on the principle of faith.

So 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.

25 B ut, faith having come, we are no longer under a tutor;

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

26 f or ye are all God's sons by faith in Christ Jesus.

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.

27 F or ye, as many as have been baptised unto Christ, have put on Christ.

For as many as were baptized into Christ have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.

28 T here is no Jew nor Greek; there is no bondman nor freeman; there is no male and female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus:

There 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.

29 b ut if ye of Christ, then ye are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.

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