Galatians 5

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

1Christ set us free. So stand firm and stay free. Do not let anyone tie you up like a slave again.

2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

2Listen to me. I, Paul, am telling you something. Some people say you must be circumcised, which means having a small cut made on your body. If you trust that to save you, Christ will not help you at all.

NoteCircumcision was a small cut made on a boy's body. It was a sign that he belonged to God's people. Some teachers were telling the Galatians they had to do this to be saved.

3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

3I say it again to every man who gets circumcised. He must then obey every single rule in God's law.

4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

4Some of you are trying to be made right with God by keeping the law. You have cut yourself off from Christ. You have turned away from God's free kindness.

5For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

5But we trust God. His Spirit helps us wait with hope for God to make us right with him.

6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

6For people who belong to Christ Jesus, being circumcised or not does not matter at all. What matters is trusting God, and that trust shows itself by loving others.

7Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

7You were doing so well. Who got in your way and stopped you from obeying the truth?

8This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

8That idea did not come from God, the one who called you to himself.

9A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

9A little bit of yeast makes the whole lump of dough puff up.

10I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

10The Lord makes me sure that you will not think any other way. But the person who is upsetting you will answer to God, whoever he is.

11And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

11Brothers and sisters, do I still tell people they must be circumcised? If I did, why do people still hurt me? Then nothing about the cross would upset anyone.

NoteIn old English, "the offence of the cross" does not mean bad manners. It means the cross upsets people and trips them up.

12I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

12I wish the people who are stirring you up would go further and cut themselves off completely.

NotePaul is angry here, and he is playing with the word "cut." The people pushing circumcision want to cut a little skin. Paul says they should keep cutting.

13For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

13God called you to be free, my friends. But do not use your freedom as an excuse to be selfish. Instead, love each other and help each other.

14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

14The whole law is kept in one rule. Love the person next to you as much as you love yourself.

15But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

15But you are biting and tearing at each other. Be careful. You may end up destroying each other.

16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

16So here is what I say. Let God's Spirit lead you. Then you will not do what your selfish side wants.

17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

17Your selfish side wants what the Spirit does not want. And the Spirit wants what your selfish side does not want. These two fight each other. So you do not do the things you want to do.

18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

18But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not under the law.

19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

19It is easy to see what the selfish side does. It breaks marriage promises. It uses sex in wrong ways. It lives a dirty life with no shame at all.

20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

20It worships fake gods. It uses magic. It hates people. It argues and fights. It is jealous. It blows up in anger. It splits people into groups that turn against each other.

21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

21It wants what other people have. It kills. It gets drunk. It goes to wild parties. There are more things like these. I warned you before, and I warn you again. People who keep doing these things will not get a share in God's kingdom.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

22But the Spirit grows good things in us. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and being someone others can count on.

23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

23Also being gentle, and telling yourself no when you should. There is no law against things like these.

24And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

24People who belong to Christ have put their selfish side to death on the cross. Its strong wants died there too.

25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

25The Spirit gives us our life. So let us walk each day the way the Spirit leads us.

26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

26Let us not brag about ourselves for no reason. Let us not stir each other up or want what others have.