King James Version KJV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 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?
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You stupid Galatians! Who has put you under a spell? Before your very eyes Yeshua the Messiah was clearly portrayed as having been put to death as a criminal!
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
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I want to know from you just this one thing: did you receive the Spirit by legalistic observance of Torah commands or by trusting in what you heard and being faithful to it?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
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Are you that stupid? Having begun with the Spirit's power, do you think you can reach the goal under your own power?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
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Have you suffered so much for nothing? If that's the way you think, your suffering certainly will have been for nothing!
5 He 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?
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What about God, who supplies you with the Spirit and works miracles among you - does he do it because of your legalistic observance of Torah commands or because you trust in what you heard and are faithful to it?
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
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It was the same with Avraham: "He trusted in God and was faithful to him, and that was credited to his account as righteousness."b
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
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Be assured, then, that it is those who live by trusting and being faithful who are really children of Avraham.
8 And 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.
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Also the Tanakh, foreseeing that God would consider the Gentiles righteous when they live by trusting and being faithful, told the Good News to Avraham in advance by saying, "In connection with you, all the Goyim will be blessed."
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
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So then, those who rely on trusting and being faithful are blessed along with Avraham, who trusted and was faithful.
10 For 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.
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For everyone who depends on legalistic observance of Torah commands lives under a curse, since it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the Scroll of the Torah."d
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
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Now it is evident that no one comes to be declared righteous by God through legalism, since "The person who is righteous will attain life by trusting and being faithful."e
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
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Furthermore, legalism is not based on trusting and being faithful, but on [a misuse of] the text that says, "Anyone who does these things will attain life through them."f
13 Christ 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:
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The Messiah redeemed us from the curse pronounced in the Torah by becoming cursed on our behalf; for the Tanakh says, "Everyone who hangs from a stake comes under a curse."g
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
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Yeshua the Messiah did this so that in union with him the Gentiles might receive the blessing announced to Avraham, so that through trusting and being faithful, we might receive what was promised, namely, the Spirit.
15 Brethren, 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.
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Brothers, let me make an analogy from everyday life: when someone swears an oath, no one else can set it aside or add to it.
16 Now 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.
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Now the promises were made to Avraham and to his seed. It doesn't say, "and to seeds," as if to many; on the contrary, it speaks of one - "and to your seed" - and this "one" is the Messiah.
17 And 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.
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Here is what I am saying: the legal part of the Torah, which came into being 430 years later, does not nullify an oath sworn by God, so as to abolish the promise.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
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For if the inheritance comes from the legal part of the Torah, it no longer comes from a promise. But God gave it to Avraham through a promise.
19 Wherefore 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.
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So then, why the legal part of the Torah? It was added in order to create transgressions, until the coming of the seed about whom the promise had been made. Moreover, it was handed down through angels and a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
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Now a mediator implies more than one, but God is one.
21 Is 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.
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Does this mean that the legal part of the Torah stands in opposition to God's promises? Heaven forbid! For if the legal part of the Torah which God gave had had in itself the power to give life, then righteousness really would have come by legalistically following such a Torah.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
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But instead, the Tanakh shuts up everything under sin; so that what had been promised might be given, on the basis of Yeshua the Messiah's trusting faithfulness, to those who continue to be trustingly faithful.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
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Now before the time for this trusting faithfulness came, we were imprisoned in subjection to the system which results from perverting the Torah into legalism, kept under guard until this yet-to-come trusting faithfulness would be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
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Accordingly, the Torah functioned as a custodian until the Messiah came, so that we might be declared righteous on the ground of trusting and being faithful.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
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But now that the time for this trusting faithfulness has come, we are no longer under a custodian.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
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For in union with the Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness;
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
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because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah, in whom
28 There 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.
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there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
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Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are seed of Avraham and heirs according to the promise.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.