1 C hrist made us free. Stay that way. Do not get chained all over again in the Law and its kind of religious worship.

For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.

2 L isten to me! I, Paul, tell you that if you have the religious act of becoming a Jew done on you, Christ will be of no use to you at all.

Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.

3 I say it again. Every man who has the religious act of becoming a Jew done on him must obey every Law.

Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4 I f you expect to be made right with God by obeying the Law, then you have turned away from Christ and His loving-favor.

Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.

5 W e are waiting for the hope of being made right with God. This will come through the Holy Spirit and by faith.

For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.

6 I f we belong to Jesus Christ, it means nothing to have or not to have gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew. But faith working through love is important.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love.

7 Y ou were doing well. Who stopped you from obeying the truth?

Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth?

8 W hatever he used did not come from the One Who chose you to have life.

This persuasion came not of him that calleth you.

9 I t only takes a little yeast to make the whole loaf of bread rise.

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

10 I feel I can trust you because of what the Lord has done in your life. I believe you will not follow another way. Whoever is trying to lead you in the wrong way will suffer for it.

I have confidence to you-ward in the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

11 C hristian brothers, if I would still preach that people must go through the religious act of becoming a Jew to be a Christian, I would not be suffering from those who are making it hard for me. If I preached like that, the Jews would have no reason to be against the cross of Christ.

But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? then hath the stumbling-block of the cross been done away.

12 I wish those who are so willing to cut your bodies would complete the job by cutting themselves off from you.

I would that they that unsettle you would even go beyond circumcision.

13 C hristian brother, you were chosen to be free. Be careful that you do not please your old selves by sinning because you are free. Live this free life by loving and helping others.

For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another.

14 Y ou obey the whole Law when you do this one thing, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

15 B ut if you hurt and make it hard for each other, watch out or you may be destroyed by each other.

But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

16 I say this to you: Let the Holy Spirit lead you in each step. Then you will not please your sinful old selves.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 T he things our old selves want to do are against what the Holy Spirit wants. The Holy Spirit does not agree with what our sinful old selves want. These two are against each other. So you cannot do what you want to do.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.

18 I f you let the Holy Spirit lead you, the Law no longer has power over you.

But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 T he things your sinful old self wants to do are: sex sins, sinful desires, wild living,

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 w orshiping false gods, witchcraft, hating, fighting, being jealous, being angry, arguing, dividing into little groups and thinking the other groups are wrong, false teaching,

idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties,

21 w anting something someone else has, killing other people, using strong drink, wild parties, and all things like these. I told you before and I am telling you again that those who do these things will have no place in the holy nation of God.

envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 B ut the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith,

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 b eing gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.

meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.

24 T hose of us who belong to Christ have nailed our sinful old selves on His cross. Our sinful desires are now dead.

And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.

25 I f the Holy Spirit is living in us, let us be led by Him in all things.

If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.

26 L et us not become proud in ways in which we should not. We must not make hard feelings among ourselves as Christians or make anyone jealous.

Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.