| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, taking Titus along too. | 1Then fourteen years later, I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me. |
| 2I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running--or had not run--in vain. | 2I went in response to a revelation, and in a private meeting with the reputed leaders, I explained to them the gospel that I'm proclaiming to the gentiles. I did this because I was afraid that I was running or had run my life's race for nothing. |
| 3Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. | 3But not even Titus, who was with me, was forced to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. |
| 4Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. | 4However, false brothers were secretly brought in. They slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in the Messiah Jesus so that they might enslave us. |
| 5But we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. | 5But we did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. |
| 6But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people)--those influential leaders added nothing to my message. | 6Now those who were reputed to be important added nothing to my message. (What sort of people they were makes no difference to me, since God pays no attention to outward appearances.) |
| 7On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was to the circumcised | 7In fact, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised. |
| 8(for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) | 8For the one who worked through Peter by making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me by sending me to the gentiles. |
| 9and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. | 9So when James, Cephas, and John (who were reputed to be leaders) recognized the grace that had been given me, they gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcised. |
| 10They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do. | 10The only thing they asked us to do was to remember the destitute, the very thing I was eager to do. |
| 11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. | 11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly wrong. |
| 12Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. | 12Until some men arrived from James, he was in the habit of eating with the gentiles, but after those men came, he withdrew from the gentiles and would not associate with them any longer, because he was afraid of the circumcision party. |
| 13And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy. | 13The other Jews also joined him in this hypocritical behavior, to the extent that even Barnabas was caught up in their hypocrisy. |
| 14But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, "If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?" | 14But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, "Though you are a Jew, you have been living like a gentile and not like a Jew. So how can you insist that the gentiles must live like Jews?" |
| 15We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, | 15We ourselves are Jews by birth, and not gentile sinners, |
| 16yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. | 16yet we know that a person is not justified by doing what the Law requires, but rather by the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah. We, too, have believed in the Messiah Jesus so that we might be justified by the faithfulness of the Messiah and not by doing what the Law requires, for no human being will be justified by doing what the Law requires. |
| 17But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not! | 17Now if we, while trying to be justified by the Messiah, have been found to be sinners, does that mean that the Messiah is serving the interests of sin? Of course not! |
| 18But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God's law. | 18For if I rebuild something that I tore down, I demonstrate that I am a wrongdoer. |
| 19For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. | 19For through the Law I died to the Law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with the Messiah. |
| 20I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. | 20I no longer live, but the Messiah lives in me, and the life that I am now living in this body I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. |
| 21I do not set aside God's grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing! | 21I do not misapply God's grace, for if righteousness comes about by doing what the Law requires, then the Messiah died for nothing. |
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