Galatians 5

New International Version

Freedom in Christ

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.^(A) Stand firm,^(B) then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.^(C)

²Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,^(D) Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.^(E) ⁴You who are trying to be justified by the law^(F) have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.^(G) ⁵For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.^(H) ⁶For in Christ Jesus^(I) neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.^(J) The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.^(K)

⁷You were running a good race.^(L) Who cut in on you^(M) to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.^(N) ⁹“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”^(O) ¹⁰I am confident^(P) in the Lord that you will take no other view.^(Q) The one who is throwing you into confusion,^(R) whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. ¹¹Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?^(S) In that case the offense^(T) of the cross has been abolished. ¹²As for those agitators,^(U) I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Life by the Spirit

¹³You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.^(V) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a];^(W) rather, serve one another^(X) humbly in love. ¹⁴For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[b]^(Y) ¹⁵If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

¹⁶So I say, walk by the Spirit,^(Z) and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.^(AA) ¹⁷For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.^(AB) They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want.^(AC) ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit,^(AD) you are not under the law.^(AE)

¹⁹The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,^(AF) impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.^(AG) I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.^(AH)

²²But the fruit^(AI) of the Spirit is love,^(AJ) joy, peace,^(AK) forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control.^(AL) Against such things there is no law.^(AM) ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh^(AN) with its passions and desires.^(AO) ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit,^(AP) let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited,^(AQ) provoking and envying each other.

Footnotes

Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.
Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18
Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what

Psalm 146

New International Version

Psalm 146

¹Praise the Lord.^[a]

Praise the Lord,^(A) my soul.

²I will praise the Lord all my life;^(B)
    I will sing praise^(C) to my God as long as I live.^(D)
³Do not put your trust in princes,^(E)
    in human beings,^(F) who cannot save.
⁴When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;^(G)
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.^(H)
⁵Blessed are those^(I) whose help^(J) is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

⁶He is the Maker of heaven^(K) and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful^(L) forever.
⁷He upholds^(M) the cause of the oppressed^(N)
    and gives food to the hungry.^(O)
The Lord sets prisoners free,^(P)
⁸    the Lord gives sight^(Q) to the blind,^(R)
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,^(S)
    the Lord loves the righteous.^(T)
⁹The Lord watches over the foreigner^(U)
    and sustains the fatherless^(V) and the widow,^(W)
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

¹⁰The Lord reigns^(X) forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

Psalm 146:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 10

Proverbs 26

New International Version

26 Like snow in summer or rain^(A) in harvest,
    honor is not fitting for a fool.^(B)
²Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
    an undeserved curse does not come to rest.^(C)
³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,^(D)
    and a rod for the backs of fools!^(E)
⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
    or you yourself will be just like him.^(F)
⁵Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or he will be wise in his own eyes.^(G)
⁶Sending a message by the hands of a fool^(H)
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
⁷Like the useless legs of one who is lame
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.^(I)
⁸Like tying a stone in a sling
    is the giving of honor to a fool.^(J)
⁹Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.^(K)
¹⁰Like an archer who wounds at random
    is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
¹¹As a dog returns to its vomit,^(L)
    so fools repeat their folly.^(M)
¹²Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?^(N)
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.^(O)

¹³A sluggard says,^(P) “There’s a lion in the road,
    a fierce lion roaming the streets!”^(Q)
¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges,
    so a sluggard turns on his bed.^(R)
¹⁵A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.^(S)
¹⁶A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
    than seven people who answer discreetly.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

¹⁸Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
¹⁹is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰Without wood a fire goes out;
    without a gossip a quarrel dies down.^(T)
²¹As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.^(U)
²²The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.^(V)

²³Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
    are fervent^[a] lips with an evil heart.
²⁴Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,^(W)
    but in their hearts they harbor deceit.^(X)
²⁵Though their speech is charming,^(Y) do not believe them,
    for seven abominations fill their hearts.^(Z)
²⁶Their malice may be concealed by deception,
    but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
²⁷Whoever digs a pit^(AA) will fall into it;^(AB)
    if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.^(AC)
²⁸A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
    and a flattering mouth^(AD) works ruin.