1 P aul, an apostle ( not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

Paul, an apostle— not from men nor by or through any man, but by and through Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and God the Father, Who raised Him from among the dead—

2 a nd all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:

And all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:

3 G race to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

Grace and spiritual blessing be to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah),

4 w ho gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Who gave (yielded) Himself up '> to atone] for our sins '> to save and sanctify us], in order to rescue and deliver us from this present wicked age and world order, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father—

5 t o whom be the glory forevermore. Amen. Perversion of the Gospel

To Him the glory through all the ages of the ages and the eternities of the eternities! Amen (so be it).

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) to a different gospel.

7 w hich is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

Not that there is any other, but there are some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you '> with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah).

8 B ut even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!

9 A s we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!

10 F or am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. Paul Defends His Ministry

Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).

11 F or I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

For I want you to know, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me is not man’s gospel.

12 F or I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but through a revelation by Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

13 F or you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it;

You have heard of my earlier career and former manner of life in the Jewish religion (Judaism), how I persecuted and abused the church of God furiously and extensively, and to make havoc of it and destroy it.

14 a nd I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.

And I outstripped many of the men of my own generation among the people of my race in Judaism, so extremely enthusiastic and zealous I was for the traditions of my ancestors.

15 B ut when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased

But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased

16 t o reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,

To reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me so that I might proclaim Him among the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world) as the glad tidings (Gospel), immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood.

17 n or did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles (special messengers of Christ) before I was, but I went away and retired into Arabia, and afterward I came back again to Damascus.

18 T hen three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

Then three years later, I did go up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas (Peter), and remained with him for fifteen days.

19 B ut I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

But I did not see any of the other apostles (the special messengers of Christ) except James the brother of our Lord.

20 ( Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)

Now, I write this as if I were standing before the bar of God; I do not lie.

21 T hen I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

Then I went into the districts (countries, regions) of Syria and Cilicia.

22 I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ;

And so far I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea (the country surrounding Jerusalem).

23 b ut only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.”

They were only hearing it said, He who used to persecute us is now proclaiming the very faith he once reviled and which he set out to ruin and tried with all his might to destroy.

24 A nd they were glorifying God because of me.

And they glorified God in me.