Galatians 3

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

1You Galatians are being foolish. Who put a spell on you? You were told plainly that Jesus Christ died on the cross.

2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

2I want to ask you just one thing. Did God's Spirit come to you because you kept the law, the rules God gave Moses? Or did the Spirit come because you heard and believed?

3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

3Are you really that foolish? You started out with God's Spirit. Are you now trying to finish by your own strength?

4Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

4You went through so many hard things. Was all of that for nothing? I hope it was not for nothing.

5He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

5God gives you his Spirit. He does wonderful things among you. Does he do this because you keep the law? Or because you hear and believe?

6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

6It is like Abraham long ago. Abraham believed God. So God counted him as right and good.

7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

7So understand this. The people who believe are the real family of Abraham.

8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

8God's book knew ahead of time what God would do. He would make people who are not Jewish right with him, through believing. So the good news came to Abraham first. God said, "Every nation on earth will be blessed through you."

9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

9So people who believe are blessed along with Abraham. Abraham was a man who believed God.

10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

10Some people count on keeping the law to save them. They are under a curse instead. God's book says, "Anyone who does not keep doing everything written in the book of the law is cursed."

11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

11It is plain that the law does not make anyone right with God. God's book says, "The person who is right with God will live by believing."

12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

12The law is not about believing. The law says, "The person who does these things will live by doing them."

13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

13Christ bought us back and set us free from the law's curse. He took that curse himself, for us. God's book says, "Anyone who is hung on a tree is cursed."

Note"Hung on a tree" means hung on a piece of wood. Paul is quoting an old rule from the book of the law. Here he uses it about the cross.

14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

14He did this so Abraham's blessing could come to people who are not Jewish. It comes through Jesus Christ. And so we could receive the promised Spirit by believing.

15Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

15Brothers and sisters, here is an everyday example. Think about an agreement between two people. Once it is signed and settled, no one can cancel it. And no one can add anything to it.

16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

16God made his promises to Abraham and to his seed. God did not say "seeds," meaning many people. He said "your seed," meaning one. That one is Christ.

Note"Seed" is an old word for a person's child, or the family that comes after him. Paul points out that the word is one, not many.

17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

17Here is what I mean. God settled his agreement with Abraham first. The law came four hundred and thirty years later. So the law cannot cancel that agreement. It cannot make God's promise worthless.

18For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

18The gift God gives is like a gift passed down in a family. If it came from keeping the law, it would not come from a promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a promise.

19Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

19So why was the law given at all? It was added because people did wrong things. It was for the time until the seed came. He is the one the promise was about. Angels handed the law down through a go-between.

20Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

20A go-between is only needed when there are two sides. But God is one.

21Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

21So is the law against God's promises? No, not at all. Suppose a law could give people life. Then being right with God really would come from the law.

22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

22But God's book says that everyone is shut in by sin. So the promise comes another way. It is given by believing in Jesus Christ, to those who believe.

23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

23Before this believing came, the law kept us in. We were shut in and waiting, until believing was shown to us.

24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

24So the law was like a guardian who walks a child to school. It led us to Christ. Then we could be made right with God by believing.

Note"Schoolmaster" in the old English does not mean a teacher. It means a trusted servant who walked a child to school and watched over him.

25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

25Now that believing has come, we do not need that guardian anymore.

26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

26You are all God's children. This is because you believe in Christ Jesus.

27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

27All of you were baptized into Christ. So you have put Christ on, the way you put on clothes.

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

28There is no Jew or Greek now. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. You are all one in Christ Jesus.

29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

29And if you belong to Christ, you are Abraham's family. What God promised belongs to you too.