| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1You foolish Galatians! Who put you under a spell? Was not Jesus the Messiah clearly portrayed before your very eyes as having been crucified? | 1You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you? Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified! |
| 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? | 2The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? |
| 3Are you so foolish? Having started out with the Spirit, are you now ending up with the flesh? | 3Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort? |
| 4Did you suffer so much for nothing? (If it really was for nothing!) | 4Have you suffered so many things for nothing?--if indeed it was for nothing. |
| 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? | 5Does God then give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard? |
| 6In the same way, Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." | 6Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, |
| 7You see, then, that those who have faith are Abraham's real descendants. | 7so then, understand that those who believe are the sons of Abraham. |
| 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." | 8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, "All the nations will be blessed in you." |
| 9Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham, the one who believed. | 9So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer. |
| 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!" | 10For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law." |
| 11Now it is obvious that no one is justified in the sight of God by the Law, because "The righteous will live by faith." | 11Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous one will live by faith. |
| 12But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, "The person who keeps the commandments will have life in them." | 12But the law is not based on faith, but the one who does the works of the law will live by them. |
| 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!" | 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree") |
| 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. | 14in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith. |
| 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. | 15Brothers and sisters, I offer an example from everyday life: When a covenant has been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it. |
| 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. | 16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, "and to the descendants," referring to many, but "and to your descendant," referring to one, who is Christ. |
| 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. | 17What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate 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. | 18For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise. |
| 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. | 19Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary. |
| 20Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one. | 20Now an intermediary is not for one party alone, but God is one. |
| 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. | 21Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. |
| 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. | 22But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given--because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ--to those who believe. |
| 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. | 23Now before faith came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed. |
| 24And so the Law was our guardian until the Messiah came, so that we might be justified by faith. | 24Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith. |
| 25But now that faith has come about, we are no longer under a guardian. | 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. |
| 26For all of you are God's children through faith in the Messiah Jesus. | 26For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. |
| 27Indeed, all of you who were baptized into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah. | 27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. |
| 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. | 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female--for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. |
| 29And if you belong to the Messiah, then you are Abraham's descendants indeed, and heirs according to the promise. | 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to the promise. |
|
