New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!
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O foolish Galatians, by what strange powers have you been tricked, to whom it was made clear that Jesus Christ was put to death on the cross?
2 The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?
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Give me an answer to this one question, Did the Spirit come to you through the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?
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Are you so foolish? having made a start in the Spirit, will you now be made complete in the flesh?
4 Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing.
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Did you undergo such a number of things to no purpose? if it is in fact to no purpose.
5 Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
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He who gives you the Spirit, and does works of power among you, is it by the works of law, or by the hearing of faith?
6 Just as Abraham "believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,"
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Even as Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness.
7 so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.
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Be certain, then, that those who are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you."
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And the holy Writings, seeing before the event that God would give the Gentiles righteousness by faith, gave the good news before to Abraham, saying, In you will all the nations have a blessing.
9 For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.
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So then those who are of faith have a part in the blessing of Abraham who was full of faith.
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law."
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For all who are of the works of the law are under a curse: because it is said in the Writings, A curse is on everyone who does not keep on doing all the things which are ordered in the book of the law.
11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for "The one who is righteous will live by faith."
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Now that no man gets righteousness by the law in the eyes of God, is clear; because, The upright will be living by faith.
12 But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, "Whoever does the works of the law will live by them."
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And the law is not of faith; but, He who does them will have life 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 hangs on a tree"—
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Christ has made us free from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us: because it is said in the Writings, A curse on everyone who is put to death by hanging on a tree:
14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
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So that on the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; in order that we through faith might have the Spirit which God had undertaken to give.
15 Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person's will has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it.
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Brothers, as men would say, even a man's agreement, when it has been made certain, may not be put on one side, or have additions made to it.
16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, "And to offsprings," as of many; but it says, "And to your offspring," that is, to one person, who is Christ.
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Now to Abraham were the undertakings given, and to his seed. He says not, And to seeds, as of a great number; but as of one, he says, And to your seed, which is Christ.
17 My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.
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Now this I say: The law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, does not put an end to the agreement made before by God, so as to make the undertaking without effect.
18 For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.
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Because if the heritage is by the law, it is no longer dependent on the word of God; but God gave it to Abraham by his word.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator.
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What then is the law? It was an addition made because of sin, till the coming of the seed to whom the undertaking had been given; and it was ordered through angels by the hand of a go-between.
20 Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one.
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Now a go-between is not a go-between of one; but God is one.
21 Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law.
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Is the law then against the words of God? in no way; because if there had been a law which was able to give life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.
22 But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
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However, the holy Writings have put all things under sin, so that that for which God gave the undertaking, based on faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who have such faith.
23 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed.
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But before faith came, we were kept in prison under the law, waiting for the revelation of the faith which was to come.
24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith.
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So the law has been a servant to take us to Christ, so that we might have righteousness by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,
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But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a servant.
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.
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Because you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
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For all those of you who were given baptism into Christ did put on Christ.
28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
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There is no Jew or Greek, servant or free, male or female: because you are all one in Jesus Christ.
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.
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And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and yours is the heritage by the right of God's undertaking given to Abraham.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, 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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.