| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1You foolish Galatians! Who has hypnotized you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified? | 1You foolish Galatians! Who put you under a spell? Was not Jesus the Messiah clearly portrayed before your very eyes as having been crucified? |
| 2I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? | 2I want to learn only one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the actions of the Law or by believing what you heard? |
| 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh? | 3Are you so foolish? Having started out with the Spirit, are you now ending up with the flesh? |
| 4Did you suffer so much for nothing--if in fact it was for nothing? | 4Did you suffer so much for nothing? (If it really was for nothing!) |
| 5So then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? | 5Does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you because you do the actions of the Law or because you believe what you heard? |
| 6Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, | 6In the same way, Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." |
| 7then understand that those who have faith are Abraham's sons. | 7You see, then, that those who have faith are Abraham's real descendants. |
| 8Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and told the good news ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you. | 8Because the Scripture saw ahead of time that God would justify the gentiles by faith, it announced the gospel to Abraham beforehand when it said, "Through you all nations will be blessed." |
| 9So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith. | 9Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham, the one who believed. |
| 10For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written: Everyone who does not continue doing everything written in the book of the law is cursed. | 10Certainly all who depend on the actions of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, "A curse on everyone who does not obey everything that is written in the Book of the Law!" |
| 11Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith. | 11Now it is obvious that no one is justified in the sight of God by the Law, because "The righteous will live by faith." |
| 12But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them. | 12But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, "The person who keeps the commandments will have life in them." |
| 13Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written: Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed. | 13The Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, "A curse on everyone who is hung on a tree!" |
| 14The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith. | 14This happened in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the gentiles through the Messiah Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. |
| 15Brothers, I'm using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to even a human covenant that has been ratified. | 15Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once a person's will has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it. |
| 16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say "and to seeds," as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ. | 16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn't say "descendants," referring to many, but "your descendant," referring to one person, who is the Messiah. |
| 17And I say this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God and cancel the promise. | 17This is what I mean: The Law that came 430 years later did not cancel the covenant that God ratified previously. The promise was never nullified. |
| 18For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise. | 18For if the inheritance comes about through the Law, it no longer comes about through the promise. But it was through a promise that God so graciously gave it to Abraham. |
| 19Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator. | 19Why, then, was the Law added? Because of transgressions, until the descendant came about whom the promise pertained. It was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator. |
| 20Now a mediator is not for just one person, but God is one. | 20Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one. |
| 21Is the law therefore contrary to God's promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law. | 21So is the Law in conflict with the promises of God? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could give us life, then certainly righteousness would come through the Law. |
| 22But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin's power, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. | 22But the Scripture has captured everything by means of sin's net, so that what was promised by the faithfulness of the Messiah might be granted to those who believe. |
| 23Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. | 23Now before faith came about, we were held in custody and confined under the Law in preparation for the faith that was to be revealed. |
| 24The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. | 24And so the Law was our guardian until the Messiah came, so that we might be justified by faith. |
| 25But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, | 25But now that faith has come about, we are no longer under a guardian. |
| 26for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. | 26For all of you are God's children through faith in the Messiah Jesus. |
| 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. | 27Indeed, all of you who were baptized into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah. |
| 28There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. | 28Because all of you are one in the Messiah Jesus, a person is no longer a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a male or a female. |
| 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to the promise. | 29And if you belong to the Messiah, then you are Abraham's descendants indeed, and heirs according to the promise. |
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