Galatians 5 - International Children’s Bible (ICB)

Keep Your Freedom

5 We have freedom now because Christ made us free. So stand strong. Do not change and go back into the slavery of the law. 2 Listen! I am Paul. I tell you that if you go back to the law by being circumcised, then Christ is no good for you. 3 Again, I warn every man: If you allow yourselves to be circumcised, then you must follow all the law. 4 If you try to be made right with God through the law, then your life with Christ is over—you have left God’s grace. 5 But we hope to be made right with God through faith, and we wait for this hope anxiously with the Spirit’s help. 6 When we are in Christ Jesus, it is not important if we are circumcised or not. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.

7 You were running a good race. You were obeying the truth. Who stopped you from following the true way? 8 Whatever way he used did not come from the One who chose you. 9 Be careful! “Just a little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise.” 10 But I trust in the Lord that you will not believe those different ideas. Someone is confusing you with such ideas. And he will be punished, whoever he is.

11 My brothers, I do not teach that a man must be circumcised. If I teach circumcision, then why am I still being treated badly? If I still taught circumcision, my preaching about the cross would not be a problem. 12 I wish the people who are bothering you would castrate[a] themselves!

13 My brothers, God called you to be free. But do not use your freedom as an excuse to do the things that please your sinful self. Serve each other with love. 14 The whole law is made complete in this one command: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”[b] 15 If you go on hurting each other and tearing each other apart, be careful! You will completely destroy each other.

The Spirit and Human Nature

16 So I tell you: Live by following the Spirit. Then you will not do what your sinful selves want. 17 Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit. The Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other. So you must not do just what you please. 18 But if you let the Spirit lead you, you are not under the law.

19 The result of sin’s control in our lives is clear. It includes sexual immorality, impurity and wild living, 20 worshiping false gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people, 21 having envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like this. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not be in God’s kingdom. 22 But the Spirit gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says these things are wrong. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do. 25 We get our new life from the Spirit. So we should follow the Spirit. 26 We must not be proud. We must not make trouble with each other. And we must not be jealous of each other.

Footnotes

  1. 5:12 castrate To cut off part of the male sex organ. Paul uses this word because it is similar to “circumcision.” Paul wanted to show that he is very upset with the false teachers.
  2. 5:14 “Love . . . yourself.” Quotation from Leviticus 19:18.

You Might Also Like:

Galatians 5 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

5 In the freedom, then, with which Christ did make you free -- stand ye, and be not held fast again by a yoke of servitude; 2 lo, I Paul do say to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing; 3 and I testify again to every man circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law;...
Read More

Galatians 5 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

5 Stand ye therefore, and do not ye again be held in the yoke of servage. [Therefore stand ye, and again do not ye be together holden in the yoke of servage.] 2 Lo! I Paul say to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall nothing profit to you. [Lo! I Paul say to you, that if ye be circumcised, C...
Read More

Galatians 5 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

5 Christ has made us really free. So, stay free! Do not let yourselves be made slaves again. 2 I, Paul, say to you again that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ is no help to you at all. 3 Again I say to every man who is circumcised, he must obey all the law. 4 Some of you are trying to ob...
Read More

Galatians 5 - World English Bible (WEB)

5 Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is a debto...
Read More

Galatians 5 - The Voice (VOICE)

5 So stand strong for our freedom! The Anointed One freed us so we wouldn’t spend one more day under the yoke of slavery, trapped under the law. 2 Listen because I, Paul, am going to make this message very clear so it cannot be misunderstood: if you undergo the rite of circumcision, then all that th...
Read More

Galatians 5 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Freedom Based on Favor5 For freedom, Messiah set us free—so stand firm, and do not be burdened by a yoke of slavery again. 2 Listen—I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Messiah will be of no benefit to you. 3 Again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised, tha...
Read More

Galatians 5 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. The Nature of Christian Freedom2 Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that h...
Read More

Galatians 5 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. The Nature of Christian Freedom2 Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that h...
Read More

Galatians 5 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

5 Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty whereby Christ has made us free. And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I, Paul, say to you, that if you shall become circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man who is circumcised, that he is under ...
Read More

Galatians 5 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

Freedom in Christ5 The Messiah set us free so that we could enjoy freedom! So stand firm, and don’t get yourselves tied down by the chains of slavery. 2 Look here: I, Paul, am telling you that if you get circumcised, the Messiah will be of no use to you. 3 I testify once more, against every person ...
Read More

Galatians 5 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

5 1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. The Nature of Christian Freedom2 Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 Once again I testify to every man who lets...
Read More

Galatians 5 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

5 1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.(A)The Nature of Christian Freedom2 Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that, if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 Once again I testify to every man who let...
Read More

Galatians 5 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

He labours to draw them away from circumcision. He shows them the battle between the Spirit and the flesh, and the fruits of them both. 5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty whereby Christ has made us free, and do not wrap yourselves again in a yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say to you that if y...
Read More

Galatians 5 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Freedom in Christ5 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If...
Read More

Galatians 5 - New Life Version (NLV)

Christ Made Us Free5 Christ made us free. Stay that way. Do not get chained all over again in the Law and its kind of religious worship. 2 Listen to me! I, Paul, tell you that if you have the religious act of becoming a Jew done on you, Christ will be of no use to you at all. 3 I say it again. Ever...
Read More

Galatians 5 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Christian Liberty5 (A)Stand[a] fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a (B)yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that (C)if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes cir...
Read More