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1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
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O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?
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Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
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Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?
4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain?
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Did you experience so many things in vain? --if it really is in vain.
5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
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Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
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Thus Abraham "believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.
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So you see that it is men of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
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And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed."
9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
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So then, those who are men of faith are blessed with Abraham who had faith.
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
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For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them."
11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”
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Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for "He who through faith is righteous shall live";
12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”
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but the law does not rest on faith, for "He who does them shall live by them."
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”
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Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree" --
14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
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that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.
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To give a human example, brethren: no one annuls even a man's will, or adds to it, once it has been ratified.
16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.
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Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many; but, referring to one, "And to your offspring," which is Christ.
17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.
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This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
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For if the inheritance is by the law, it is no longer by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.
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Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained by angels through an intermediary.
20 A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
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Now an intermediary implies more than one; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
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Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not; for if a law had been given which could make alive, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.
22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
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But the scripture consigned all things to sin, that what was promised to faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.
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Now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed.
24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.
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So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith.
25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
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But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian;
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,
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for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
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For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
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There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
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And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.