1 F oolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as 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 I just want to learn this from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing 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 you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the 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 D id you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed 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 supplies the Spirit to you, and does miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing 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 counted to him for 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 therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham.

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

8 T he Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will 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 then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful 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 of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are 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 N ow that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by 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 T he law is not of faith, but, “The man who does them will 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 redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on 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 on the Gentiles through 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 rothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void, or adds to it.

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 N ow the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. He doesn’t say, “To descendants ”, as of many, but as of one, “To your offspring ”, 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 in Christ, the law, which came four hundred 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 is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it 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 hat then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the 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 N ow a mediator is not between 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 I s the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the 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 Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who 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 kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards 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 become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by 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 now that faith has 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 you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.

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

27 F or as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

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

28 T here is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you 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 I f you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.

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