New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
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Christ has truly made us free: then keep your free condition and let no man put a yoke on you again.
2 Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
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See, I Paul say to you, that if you undergo circumcision, Christ will be of no use to you.
3 Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law.
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Yes, I give witness again to every man who undergoes circumcision, that he will have to keep all the law.
4 You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
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You are cut off from Christ, you who would have righteousness by the law; you are turned away from grace.
5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
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For we through the Spirit by faith are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.
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Because in Christ Jesus, having circumcision or not having circumcision are equally of no profit; but only faith working through love.
7 You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth?
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You were going on well; who was the cause of your not giving ear to what is true?
8 Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.
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This ready belief did not come from him who had made you his.
9 A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.
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A little leaven makes a change in all the mass.
10 I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.
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I am certain about you in the Lord, that you will be of no other mind; but he who is troubling you will have his punishment, whoever he is.
11 But my friends, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.
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But I, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still attacked? then has the shame of the cross been taken away.
12 I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!
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My desire is that they who give you trouble might even be cut off themselves.
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.
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Because you, brothers, were marked out to be free; only do not make use of your free condition to give the flesh its chance, but through love be servants one to another.
14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
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For all the law is made complete in one word, even in this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.
15 If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
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But if you are given to fighting with one another, take care that you are not the cause of destruction one to another.
16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.
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But I say, Go on in the Spirit, and you will not come under the rule of the evil desires of the flesh.
17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.
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For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; because these are opposite the one to the other; so that you may not do the things which you have a mind to do.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.
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But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,
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Now the works of the flesh are clear, which are these: evil desire, unclean things, wrong use of the senses,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions,
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Worship of images, use of strange powers, hates, fighting, desire for what another has, angry feelings, attempts to get the better of others, divisions, false teachings,
21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
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Envy, uncontrolled drinking and feasting, and such things: of which I give you word clearly, even as I did in the past, that they who do such things will have no part in the kingdom of God.
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, a quiet mind, kind acts, well-doing, faith,
23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
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Gentle behaviour, control over desires: against such there is no law.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
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And those who are Christ's have put to death on the cross the flesh with its passions and its evil desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
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If we are living by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us be guided.
26 Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.
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Let us not be full of self-glory, making one another angry, having envy of one another.
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.