1 O Galati insensati! Chi vi ha ammaliati per non ubbidire alla verità, voi, davanti ai cui occhi Gesú Cristo è stato ritratto crocifisso fra voi?

You foolish Galatians! What strange powers are trying to lead you from the way of faith in Christ? We made it plain for you to see that Jesus Christ was put on a cross to die.

2 Q uesto solo desidero sapere da voi: avete ricevuto lo Spirito mediante le opere della legge o attraverso la predicazione della fede?

There is one thing I want to know. Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the Law? Or did you receive Him by hearing about Christ?

3 S iete cosí insensati che, avendo cominciato nello Spirito, vorreste finire nella carne?

How foolish can you be? You started the Christian life by the Holy Spirit. Do you think you are going to become better Christians by your old way of worship?

4 A vete sofferto tante cose invano, se pur è stato veramente invano?

You suffered so much because of the Good News you received. Was this all of no use?

5 C olui dunque che vi dispensa lo Spirito e opera tra voi potenti operazioni, lo fa mediante le opere della legge o mediante la predicazione della fede?

He gave you the Holy Spirit and did powerful works among you. Does He do it because you do what the Law says or because you hear and believe the truth?

6 C osí Abrahamo «credette a Dio, e ciò gli fu messo in conto di giustizia»;

It was the same with Abraham. He put his trust in God. This made Abraham right with God.

7 s appiate pure che coloro che sono dalla fede sono figli di Abrahamo.

Be sure to remember that all men who put their trust in God are the sons of Abraham.

8 E la Scrittura, prevedendo che Dio avrebbe giustificato le nazioni mediante la fede, diede prima ad Abrahamo una buona notizia: «Tutte le nazioni saranno benedette in te»,

The Holy Writings said long ago that God would save the people who are not Jews from the punishment of sin also. Before this time the Holy Writings gave the Good News to Abraham in these words, “All nations will be happy because of you.”

9 P erciò coloro che si fondano sulla fede sono benedetti col fedele Abrahamo.

So then, all those who have faith will be happy, along with Abraham who had faith.

10 O ra tutti coloro che si fondano sulle opere della legge sono sotto la maledizione, perché sta scritto: «Maledetto chiunque non persevera in tutte le cose scritte nel libro della legge per praticarle».

All those who expect the Law to save them from the punishment of sin will be punished. Because it is written, “Everyone who does not keep on doing all the things written in the Book of the Law will be punished.”

11 P oiché è manifesto che nessuno è giustificato mediante la legge davanti a Dio, perché: «Il giusto vivrà per la fede».

No one is made right with God by doing what the Law says. For, “The man right with God will live by faith.”

12 O ra la legge non proviene dalla fede, ma «l'uomo che farà queste cose vivrà per mezzo di esse».

The Law does not use faith. It says, “You must obey all the Law or you will die.”

13 C risto ci ha riscattati dalla maledizione della legge, essendo diventato maledizione per noi (poiché sta scritto: «Maledetto chiunque è appeso al legno»),

Christ bought us with His blood and made us free from the Law. In that way, the Law could not punish us. Christ did this by carrying the load and by being punished instead of us. It is written, “Anyone who hangs on a cross is hated and punished.”

14 a ffinché la benedizione di Abrahamo pervenisse ai gentili in Cristo Gesú, perché noi ricevessimo la promessa dello Spirito mediante la fede.

Because of the price Christ Jesus paid, the good things that came to Abraham might come to the people who are not Jews. And by putting our trust in Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit He has promised.

15 F ratelli, io parlo alla maniera degli uomini: se un patto è ratificato, benché sia patto d'uomo, nessuno l'annulla o vi aggiunge qualche cosa.

Christian brothers, let me show you what this means. If two men agree to something and sign their names on a paper promising to stay true to what they agree, it cannot be changed.

16 O ra le promesse furono fatte ad Abrahamo e alla sua discendenza. La Scrittura non dice: «E alle discendenze» come se si trattasse di molte, ma come di una sola: «E alla tua discendenza», cioè Cristo.

Now the promise was made to Abraham and to his son. He does not say, “And to sons,” speaking of many. But instead, “And to your Son,” which means Christ.

17 O r io dico questo: la legge, venuta dopo quattrocentotrent'anni, non annulla il patto ratificato prima da Dio in Cristo, in modo da annullare la promessa.

This is what I am saying: The Law which came 430 years later could not change the promise. The promise had already been made by God. The Law could not put that promise aside.

18 I nfatti, se l'eredità derivasse dalla legge, non verrebbe piú dalla promessa. Or Dio la donò ad Abrahamo mediante la promessa.

If it had been possible to be saved from the punishment of sin by obeying the Law, the promise God gave Abraham would be worth nothing. But since it is not possible to be saved by obeying the Law, the promise God gave Abraham is worth everything.

19 P erché dunque fu data la legge? Essa fu aggiunta a causa delle trasgressioni, finché fosse venuta la discendenza a cui era stata fatta la promessa; essa fu promulgata dagli angeli per mano di un mediatore.

Then why do we have the Law? It was given because of sin. It was to be used until Christ came. The promise had been made looking toward Christ. The Law was given by angels through Moses who stood between God and man.

20 O r il mediatore non è mediatore di una sola parte, ma Dio è uno.

But when the promise was given to Abraham, God gave it without anyone standing between them.

21 L a legge è dunque contraria alle promesse di Dio? Cosí non sia; perché se fosse stata data una legge capace di dare la vita, allora veramente la giustizia sarebbe venuta dalla legge.

Is the Law against the promise of God? No! Never! If it had been possible to be saved from the punishment of sin by obeying the Law, then being right with God would have come by obeying the Law.

22 M a la Scrittura ha rinchiuso ogni cosa sotto il peccato, affinché fosse data ai credenti la promessa mediante la fede di Gesú Cristo.

But the Holy Writings say that all men are guilty of sin. Then that which was promised might be given to those who put their trust in Christ. It will be because their faith is in Him.

23 O ra, prima che venisse la fede noi eravamo custoditi sotto la legge, come rinchiusi, in attesa della fede che doveva essere rivelata.

Before it was possible to be saved from the punishment of sin by putting our trust in Christ, we were held under the Law. It was as if we were being kept in prison. We were kept this way until Christ came.

24 C osí la legge è stata nostro precettore per portarci a Cristo, affinché fossimo giustificati per mezzo della fede.

The Law was used to lead us to Christ. It was our teacher, and so we were made right with God by putting our trust in Christ.

25 M a, venuta la fede, non siamo piú sotto un precettore,

Now that our faith is in Christ, we do not need the Law to lead us.

26 p erché voi tutti siete figli di Dio per mezzo della fede in Cristo Gesú.

You are now children of God because you have put your trust in Christ Jesus.

27 P oiché voi tutti che siete stati battezzati in Cristo, vi siete rivestiti di Cristo.

All of you who have been baptized to show you belong to Christ have become like Christ.

28 N on c'è né Giudeo né Greco, non c'è né schiavo né libero, non c'è né maschio né femmina, perché tutti siete uno in Cristo Gesú.

God does not see you as a Jew or as a Greek. He does not see you as a servant or as a person free to work. He does not see you as a man or as a woman. You are all one in Christ.

29 O ra, se siete di Cristo, siete dunque progenie d'Abrahamo ed eredi secondo la promessa.

If you belong to Christ, then you have become the true children of Abraham. What God promised to him is now yours.