1 Y ou 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.

O thoughtless Galatians, who did bewitch you, not to obey the truth -- before whose eyes Jesus Christ was described before among you crucified?

2 T here 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?

this only do I wish to learn from you -- by works of law the Spirit did ye receive, or by the hearing of faith?

3 H ow 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?

so thoughtless are ye! having begun in the Spirit, now in the flesh do ye end?

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

so many things did ye suffer in vain! if, indeed, even in vain.

5 H e 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?

He, therefore, who is supplying to you the Spirit, and working mighty acts among you -- by works of law or by the hearing of faith ?

6 I t was the same with Abraham. He put his trust in God. This made Abraham right with God.

according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness;

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

know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham,

8 T he 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.”

and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham --

9 S o then, all those who have faith will be happy, along with Abraham who had faith.

`Blessed in thee shall be all the nations;' so that those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham,

10 A ll 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.”

for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it hath been written, `Cursed every one who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Book of the Law -- to do them,'

11 N o one is made right with God by doing what the Law says. For, “The man right with God will live by faith.”

and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because `The righteous by faith shall live;'

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

and the law is not by faith, but -- `The man who did them shall live in them.'

13 C hrist 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.”

Christ did redeem us from the curse of the law, having become for us a curse, for it hath been written, `Cursed is every one who is hanging on a tree,'

14 B ecause 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.

that to the nations the blessing of Abraham may come in Christ Jesus, that the promise of the Spirit we may receive through the faith.

15 C hristian 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.

Brethren, as a man I say, even of man a confirmed covenant no one doth make void or doth add to,

16 N ow 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.

and to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed; He doth not say, `And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, `And to thy seed,' which is Christ;

17 T his 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.

and this I say, A covenant confirmed before by God to Christ, the law, that came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not set aside, to make void the promise,

18 I f 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.

for if by law the inheritance, no more by promise, but to Abraham through promise did God grant.

19 T hen 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.

Why, then, the law? on account of the transgressions it was added, till the seed might come to which the promise hath been made, having been set in order through messengers in the hand of a mediator --

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

and the mediator is not of one, and God is one --

21 I s 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.

the law, then, against the promises of God? -- let it not be! for if a law was given that was able to make alive, truly by law there would have been the righteousness,

22 B ut 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.

but the Writing did shut up the whole under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ may be given to those believing.

23 B efore 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.

And before the coming of the faith, under law we were being kept, shut up to the faith about to be revealed,

24 T he 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.

so that the law became our child-conductor -- to Christ, that by faith we may be declared righteous,

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

and the faith having come, no more under a child-conductor are we,

26 Y ou are now children of God because you have put your trust in Christ Jesus.

for ye are all sons of God through the faith in Christ Jesus,

27 A ll of you who have been baptized to show you belong to Christ have become like Christ.

for as many as to Christ were baptized did put on Christ;

28 G od 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.

there is not here Jew or Greek, there is not here servant nor freeman, there is not here male and female, for all ye are one in Christ Jesus;

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

and if ye of Christ then of Abraham ye are seed, and according to promise -- heirs.