Galatians 4-6 (New American Standard Bible)

Galatians 4

Sonship in Christ

 ¹Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,

 ²but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.

 ³So also we, while we were children, were held ^(A)in bondage under the ^(B)elemental things of the world.

 ⁴But when ^(C)the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, ^(D)born of a woman, born ^(E)under the Law,

 ⁵so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as ^(F)sons.

 ⁶Because you are sons, ^(G)God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "^(H)Abba! Father!"

 ⁷Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and ^(I)if a son, then an heir through God.

 ⁸However at that time, ^(J)when you did not know God, you were ^(K)slaves to ^(L)those which by nature are no gods.

 ⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be ^(M)known by God, ^(N)how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless ^(O)elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

 ¹⁰You ^(P)observe days and months and seasons and years.

 ¹¹I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.

 ¹²I beg of you, ^(Q)brethren, ^(R)become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;

 ¹³but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time;

 ¹⁴and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but ^(S)you received me as an angel of God, as ^(T)Christ Jesus Himself.

 ¹⁵Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

 ¹⁶So have I become your enemy ^(U)by telling you the truth?

 ¹⁷They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

 ¹⁸But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and ^(V)not only when I am present with you.

 ^19(W)My children, with whom ^(X)I am again in labor until ^(Y)Christ is formed in you--

 ²⁰but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for ^(Z)I am perplexed about you.

Bond and Free

 ²¹Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not ^(AA)listen to the law?

 ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(AB)one by the bondwoman and ^(AC)one by the free woman.

 ²³But ^(AD)the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and ^(AE)the son by the free woman through the promise.

 ^24(AF)This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from ^(AG)Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be ^(AH)slaves; she is Hagar.

 ²⁵Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

 ²⁶But ^(AI)the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.

 ²⁷For it is written,
         "^(AJ)REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR;
         BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR;
         FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE
         THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND."

 ²⁸And you brethren, ^(AK)like Isaac, are ^(AL)children of promise.

 ²⁹But as at that time ^(AM)he who was born according to the flesh ^(AN)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(AO)so it is now also.

 ³⁰But what does the Scripture say?
         "^(AP)CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON,
         FOR ^(AQ)THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN."

 ³¹So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.

Galatians 5

Walk by the Spirit

 ^1(AR)It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore ^(AS)keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a ^(AT)yoke of slavery.

 ²Behold I, ^(AU)Paul, say to you that if you receive ^(AV)circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.

 ³And I ^(AW)testify again to every man who receives ^(AX)circumcision, that he is under obligation to ^(AY)keep the whole Law.

 ⁴You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have ^(AZ)fallen from grace.

 ⁵For we through the Spirit, by faith, are ^(BA)waiting for the hope of righteousness.

 ⁶For in ^(BB)Christ Jesus ^(BC)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but ^(BD)faith working through love.

 ⁷You were ^(BE)running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

 ⁸This persuasion did not come from ^(BF)Him who calls you.

 ^9(BG)A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.

 ^10(BH)I have confidence in you in the Lord that you ^(BI)will adopt no other view; but the one who is ^(BJ)disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

 ¹¹But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still ^(BK)persecuted? Then ^(BL)the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

 ¹²I wish that ^(BM)those who are troubling you would even ^(BN)mutilate themselves.

 ¹³For you were called to ^(BO)freedom, brethren; ^(BP)only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(BQ)serve one another.

 ¹⁴For ^(BR)the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "^(BS)YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

 ¹⁵But if you ^(BT)bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

 ¹⁶But I say, ^(BU)walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out ^(BV)the desire of the flesh.

 ¹⁷For ^(BW)the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, ^(BX)so that you may not do the things that you please.

 ¹⁸But if you are ^(BY)led by the Spirit, ^(BZ)you are not under the Law.

 ¹⁹Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: ^(CA)immorality, impurity, sensuality,

 ²⁰idolatry, ^(CB)sorcery, enmities, ^(CC)strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, ^(CD)disputes, dissensions, ^(CE)factions,

 ²¹envying, ^(CF)drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not ^(CG)inherit the kingdom of God.

 ²²But ^(CH)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(CI)love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

 ²³gentleness, ^(CJ)self-control; against such things ^(CK)there is no law.

 ²⁴Now those who belong to ^(CL)Christ Jesus have ^(CM)crucified the flesh with its passions and ^(CN)desires.

 ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk ^(CO)by the Spirit.

 ²⁶Let us not become ^(CP)boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Galatians 6

Bear One Another's Burdens

 ^1(CQ)Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are ^(CR)spiritual, ^(CS)restore such a one ^(CT)in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

 ^2(CU)Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill ^(CV)the law of Christ.

 ³For ^(CW)if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

 ⁴But each one must ^(CX)examine his own work, and then he will have reason for ^(CY)boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.

 ⁵For ^(CZ)each one will bear his own load.

 ^6(DA)The one who is taught ^(DB)the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.

 ^7(DC)Do not be deceived, ^(DD)God is not mocked; for ^(DE)whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

 ^8(DF)For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap ^(DG)corruption, but ^(DH)the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

 ^9(DI)Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we ^(DJ)do not grow weary.

 ¹⁰So then, ^(DK)while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the ^(DL)household of ^(DM)the faith.

 ¹¹See with what large letters I am writing to you ^(DN)with my own hand.

 ¹²Those who desire ^(DO)to make a good showing in the flesh try to ^(DP)compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they ^(DQ)will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

 ¹³For those who ^[a]are circumcised do not even ^(DR)keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may ^(DS)boast in your flesh.

 ¹⁴But ^(DT)may it never be that I would boast, ^(DU)except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(DV)through which the world has been crucified to me, and ^(DW)I to the world.

 ¹⁵For ^(DX)neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a ^(DY)new creation.

 ¹⁶And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the ^(DZ)Israel of God.

 ¹⁷From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the ^(EA)brand-marks of Jesus.

 ^18(EB)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^(EC)with your spirit, ^(ED)brethren. Amen.