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Galatians 6
New International Version
Galatians 6
New International Version
Doing Good to All
6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit(A) should restore(B) that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.(C) 3 If anyone thinks they are something(D) when they are not, they deceive themselves.(E) 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone,(F) without comparing themselves to someone else,(G) 5 for each one should carry their own load.(H) 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.(I)
7 Do not be deceived:(J) God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.(K) 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh,(L) from the flesh will reap destruction;(M) whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.(N) 9 Let us not become weary in doing good,(O) for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.(P) 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good(Q) to all people, especially to those who belong to the family(R) of believers.
Not Circumcision but the New Creation
11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!(S)
12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh(T) are trying to compel you to be circumcised.(U) The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted(V) for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law,(W) yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.(X) 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,(Y) through which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.(Z) 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything;(AA) what counts is the new creation.(AB) 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to[b] the Israel of God.
17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks(AC) of Jesus.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ(AD) be with your spirit,(AE) brothers and sisters. Amen.
Footnotes
- Galatians 6:14 Or whom
- Galatians 6:16 Or rule and to
Galatians 6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Galatians 6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Carry One Another’s Burdens
6 Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle(A) spirit,(B) watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted.(C) 2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.(D) 3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing,(E) he deceives himself. 4 But each person should examine his own work,(F) and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else. 5 For each person will have to carry his own load.
6 The one who is taught the message must share(G) all his good things with the teacher. 7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit(H) will reap eternal life(I) from the Spirit. 9 So we must not get tired(J) of doing good,(K) for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work(L) for the good(M) of all, especially for those who belong to the household(N) of faith.(O)
Concluding Exhortation
11 Look at what large letters I use as I write to you in my own handwriting. 12 Those who want to make a good impression in the flesh(P) are the ones who would compel you to be circumcised(Q)—but only to avoid being persecuted(R) for the cross(S) of Christ. 13 For even the circumcised don’t keep(T) the law themselves; however, they want you to be circumcised in order to boast about your flesh. 14 But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world. 15 For[a] both circumcision and uncircumcision(U) mean nothing; what matters instead is a new creation.(V) 16 May peace come to all those who follow this standard, and mercy to the Israel(W) of God!
17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, because I bear on my body scars for the cause of Jesus.(X) 18 Brothers, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.(Y) Amen.
Footnotes
- Galatians 6:15 Other mss add in Christ Jesus
Galatians 6
New Living Translation
Galatians 6
New Living Translation
We Harvest What We Plant
6 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer[a] is overcome by some sin, you who are godly[b] should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.
7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
Paul’s Final Advice
11 Notice what large letters i use as i write these closing words in my own handwriting.
12 Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 13 And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.
14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross,[c] my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 15 It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. 16 May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.[d]
17 From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.
18 Dear brothers and sisters,[e] may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Galatians 6
The Message
Galatians 6
The Message
Nothing but the Cross
6 1-3 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
4-5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
6 Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.
7-8 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
11-13 Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ’s suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. They themselves don’t keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible!
14-16 For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!
17 Quite frankly, I don’t want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do—the serious living of this faith. I bear in my body scars from my service to Jesus.
18 May what our Master Jesus Christ gives freely be deeply and personally yours, my friends. Oh, yes!
Galatians 6
King James Version
Galatians 6
King James Version
6 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson