The (A)vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem (B)in the days of (C)Uzziah, (D)Jotham, (E)Ahaz, and (F)Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

The Wickedness of Judah

(G)Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O (H)earth;
    for the Lord has spoken:
“Children[a] (I)have I reared and brought up,
    but they have rebelled against me.
The ox (J)knows its owner,
    and the donkey its master's crib,
but Israel does (K)not know,
    my people do not understand.”

Ah, sinful nation,
    a people laden with iniquity,
(L)offspring of evildoers,
    children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
    they have (M)despised (N)the Holy One of Israel,
    they are utterly (O)estranged.

Why will you still be (P)struck down?
    Why will you (Q)continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
    and the whole heart faint.
(R)From the sole of the foot even to the head,
    there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
    and raw wounds;
they are (S)not pressed out or bound up
    or softened with oil.

(T)Your country lies desolate;
    your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
    foreigners devour your land;
    it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
And (U)the daughter of Zion is left
    like a (V)booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
    like a besieged city.

(W)If the Lord of hosts
    had not left us (X)a few survivors,
we should have been like (Y)Sodom,
    and become like (Z)Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord,
    you rulers of (AA)(AB)Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching[b] of our God,
    you people of (AC)Gomorrah!
11 (AD)“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
    says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
    and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
    or of lambs, or of goats.

12 “When you come to (AE)appear before me,
    who has required of you
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
    incense is an abomination to me.
(AF)New moon and Sabbath and the (AG)calling of convocations—
    I cannot endure (AH)iniquity and (AI)solemn assembly.
14 Your (AJ)new moons and your appointed feasts
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you (AK)spread out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
(AL)even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    (AM)your hands are full of blood.
16 (AN)Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
(AO)cease to do evil,
17     learn to do good;
(AP)seek justice,
    correct oppression;
(AQ)bring justice to the fatherless,
    plead the widow's cause.

18 “Come now, (AR)let us reason[c] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as (AS)white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
19 (AT)If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    (AU)for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Unfaithful City

21 How the faithful city
    (AV)has become a whore,[d]
    (AW)she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
    but now murderers.
22 (AX)Your silver has become dross,
    your best wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
    and companions of thieves.
Everyone (AY)loves a bribe
    and runs after gifts.
(AZ)They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
    and the widow's cause does not come to them.

24 Therefore the (BA)Lord declares,
    the Lord of hosts,
    the (BB)Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
    (BC)and avenge myself on my foes.
25 (BD)I will turn my hand against you
    and will smelt away your (BE)dross as with lye
    and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges (BF)as at the first,
    and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward (BG)you shall be called the city of righteousness,
    the faithful city.”

27 (BH)Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
    and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 (BI)But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
    and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 (BJ)For they[e] shall be ashamed of (BK)the oaks
    that you desired;
and you shall blush for (BL)the gardens
    that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be (BM)like an oak
    whose leaf withers,
    and like a garden without water.
31 And the strong shall become (BN)tinder,
    and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
    with (BO)none to quench them.

The Mountain of the Lord

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

(BP)It shall come to pass in the latter days
    that (BQ)the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and (BR)all the nations shall flow to it,
    and (BS)many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.”
For (BT)out of Zion shall go forth the law,[f]
    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
    and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
(BU)and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
(BV)nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war anymore.

O house of Jacob,
    come, let us walk
    in (BW)the light of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

For you have rejected your people,
    the house of Jacob,
because they are full of things (BX)from the east
    and (BY)of fortune-tellers (BZ)like the Philistines,
    and they (CA)strike hands with the children of foreigners.
Their land is (CB)filled with silver and gold,
    and there is no end to their treasures;
their land is (CC)filled with horses,
    and there is no end to their chariots.
Their land is (CD)filled with idols;
    they bow down to (CE)the work of their hands,
    to what their own fingers have made.
So man (CF)is humbled,
    and each one (CG)is brought low—
    do not forgive them!
10 (CH)Enter into the rock
    and hide in the dust
(CI)from before the terror of the Lord,
    and from the splendor of his majesty.
11 (CJ)The haughty looks of man shall be brought low,
    and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled,
and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

12 (CK)For the Lord of hosts has a day
    against all that is proud and lofty,
    against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;
13 against all the (CL)cedars of Lebanon,
    lofty and lifted up;
    and against all the (CM)oaks of Bashan;
14 against all (CN)the lofty mountains,
    and against all the uplifted hills;
15 against every high tower,
    and against every fortified wall;
16 against all (CO)the ships of Tarshish,
    and against all the beautiful craft.
17 (CP)And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled,
    and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low,
    and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
18 (CQ)And the idols shall utterly pass away.
19 (CR)And people shall enter the caves of the rocks
    and the holes of the ground,[g]
from before the terror of the Lord,
    and from the splendor of his majesty,
    (CS)when he rises to terrify the earth.

20 In that day (CT)mankind will cast away
    their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
which they made for themselves to worship,
    to the moles and to the (CU)bats,
21 (CV)to enter the caverns of the rocks
    and the clefts of the cliffs,
from before the terror of the Lord,
    and from the splendor of his majesty,
    (CW)when he rises to terrify the earth.
22 (CX)Stop regarding man
    (CY)in whose nostrils is breath,
    for of what account is he?

Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem

For behold, the (CZ)Lord God of hosts
    is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah
support and supply,[h]
    all (DA)support of bread,
    and all support of water;
(DB)the mighty man and the soldier,
    the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner and the elder,
the captain of fifty
    and the man of rank,
the counselor and the skillful magician
    and the expert in charms.
(DC)And I will make boys their princes,
    and infants[i] shall rule over them.
(DD)And the people will oppress one another,
    every one his fellow
    and every one his neighbor;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
    and the despised to the honorable.

For (DE)a man will take hold of his brother
    in the house of his father, saying:
“You have a cloak;
    you shall be our leader,
and this heap of ruins
    shall be under your rule”;
in that day he will speak out, saying:
“I will not be a (DF)healer;[j]
    in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
you shall not make me
    leader of the people.”
For Jerusalem has stumbled,
    and Judah has fallen,
because their (DG)speech and their deeds are against the Lord,
    (DH)defying his glorious presence.[k]

For the look on their faces bears witness against them;
    they proclaim their sin (DI)like Sodom;
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    (DJ)For they have brought evil on themselves.
10 (DK)Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them,
    (DL)for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
11 (DM)Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him,
    for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.
12 My people—(DN)infants are their oppressors,
    and women rule over them.
O my people, (DO)your guides mislead you
    and they have swallowed up[l] the course of your paths.

13 The Lord (DP)has taken his place to contend;
    he stands to judge peoples.
14 The Lord will enter into judgment
    with the (DQ)elders and princes of his people:
“It is you who (DR)have devoured[m] the vineyard,
    (DS)the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by (DT)crushing my people,
    by grinding the face of the poor?”
declares the Lord God of hosts.

16 The Lord said:
(DU)Because (DV)the daughters of Zion are haughty
    and walk with outstretched necks,
    glancing wantonly with their eyes,
mincing along as they go,
    (DW)tinkling with their feet,
17 therefore the Lord (DX)will strike with a scab
    the heads of (DY)the daughters of Zion,
    and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away (DZ)the finery of the anklets, the (EA)headbands, and the (EB)crescents; 19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; 20 the (EC)headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; 21 the signet rings and (ED)nose rings; 22 the (EE)festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; 23 the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.

24 Instead of (EF)perfume there will be rottenness;
    and instead of a (EG)belt, a rope;
and instead of (EH)well-set hair, (EI)baldness;
    and instead of a rich robe, a (EJ)skirt of sackcloth;
    and (EK)branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword
    and your mighty men in battle.
26 And (EL)her gates shall lament and mourn;
    empty, she shall (EM)sit on the ground.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:2 Or Sons; also verse 4
  2. Isaiah 1:10 Or law
  3. Isaiah 1:18 Or dispute
  4. Isaiah 1:21 Or become unchaste
  5. Isaiah 1:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts you
  6. Isaiah 2:3 Or teaching
  7. Isaiah 2:19 Hebrew dust
  8. Isaiah 3:1 Hebrew staff
  9. Isaiah 3:4 Or caprice
  10. Isaiah 3:7 Hebrew binder of wounds
  11. Isaiah 3:8 Hebrew the eyes of his glory
  12. Isaiah 3:12 Or they have confused
  13. Isaiah 3:14 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5

The vision(A) concerning Judah and Jerusalem(B) that Isaiah son of Amoz saw(C) during the reigns of Uzziah,(D) Jotham,(E) Ahaz(F) and Hezekiah,(G) kings of Judah.

A Rebellious Nation

Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!(H)
    For the Lord has spoken:(I)
“I reared children(J) and brought them up,
    but they have rebelled(K) against me.
The ox knows(L) its master,
    the donkey its owner’s manger,(M)
but Israel does not know,(N)
    my people do not understand.(O)

Woe to the sinful nation,
    a people whose guilt is great,(P)
a brood of evildoers,(Q)
    children given to corruption!(R)
They have forsaken(S) the Lord;
    they have spurned the Holy One(T) of Israel
    and turned their backs(U) on him.

Why should you be beaten(V) anymore?
    Why do you persist(W) in rebellion?(X)
Your whole head is injured,
    your whole heart(Y) afflicted.(Z)
From the sole of your foot to the top of your head(AA)
    there is no soundness(AB)
only wounds and welts(AC)
    and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged(AD)
    or soothed with olive oil.(AE)

Your country is desolate,(AF)
    your cities burned with fire;(AG)
your fields are being stripped by foreigners(AH)
    right before you,
    laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.(AI)
Daughter Zion(AJ) is left(AK)
    like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut(AL) in a cucumber field,
    like a city under siege.
Unless the Lord Almighty
    had left us some survivors,(AM)
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.(AN)

10 Hear the word of the Lord,(AO)
    you rulers of Sodom;(AP)
listen to the instruction(AQ) of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!(AR)
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;(AS)
I have no pleasure(AT)
    in the blood of bulls(AU) and lambs and goats.(AV)
12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,(AW)
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!(AX)
    Your incense(AY) is detestable(AZ) to me.
New Moons,(BA) Sabbaths and convocations(BB)
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon(BC) feasts and your appointed festivals(BD)
    I hate with all my being.(BE)
They have become a burden to me;(BF)
    I am weary(BG) of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands(BH) in prayer,
    I hide(BI) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.(BJ)

Your hands(BK) are full of blood!(BL)

16 Wash(BM) and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;(BN)
    stop doing wrong.(BO)
17 Learn to do right;(BP) seek justice.(BQ)
    Defend the oppressed.[a](BR)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;(BS)
    plead the case of the widow.(BT)

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”(BU)
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;(BV)
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.(BW)
19 If you are willing and obedient,(BX)
    you will eat the good things of the land;(BY)
20 but if you resist and rebel,(BZ)
    you will be devoured by the sword.”(CA)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(CB)

21 See how the faithful city
    has become a prostitute!(CC)
She once was full of justice;
    righteousness(CD) used to dwell in her—
    but now murderers!(CE)
22 Your silver has become dross,(CF)
    your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,(CG)
    partners with thieves;(CH)
they all love bribes(CI)
    and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
    the widow’s case does not come before them.(CJ)

24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    the Mighty One(CK) of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
    and avenge(CL) myself on my enemies.(CM)
25 I will turn my hand against you;[b](CN)
    I will thoroughly purge(CO) away your dross(CP)
    and remove all your impurities.(CQ)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,(CR)
    your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called(CS)
    the City of Righteousness,(CT)
    the Faithful City.(CU)

27 Zion will be delivered with justice,
    her penitent(CV) ones with righteousness.(CW)
28 But rebels and sinners(CX) will both be broken,
    and those who forsake(CY) the Lord will perish.(CZ)

29 “You will be ashamed(DA) because of the sacred oaks(DB)
    in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens(DC)
    that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,(DD)
    like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder
    and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
    with no one to quench the fire.(DE)

The Mountain of the Lord(DF)

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:(DG)

In the last days(DH)

the mountain(DI) of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;(DJ)
it will be exalted(DK) above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.(DL)

Many peoples(DM) will come and say,

“Come, let us go(DN) up to the mountain(DO) of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(DP) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.(DQ)
He will judge(DR) between the nations
    and will settle disputes(DS) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.(DT)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,(DU)
    nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, descendants of Jacob,(DV)
    let us walk in the light(DW) of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

You, Lord, have abandoned(DX) your people,
    the descendants of Jacob.(DY)
They are full of superstitions from the East;
    they practice divination(DZ) like the Philistines(EA)
    and embrace(EB) pagan customs.(EC)
Their land is full of silver and gold;(ED)
    there is no end to their treasures.(EE)
Their land is full of horses;(EF)
    there is no end to their chariots.(EG)
Their land is full of idols;(EH)
    they bow down(EI) to the work of their hands,(EJ)
    to what their fingers(EK) have made.
So people will be brought low(EL)
    and everyone humbled(EM)
    do not forgive them.[c](EN)

10 Go into the rocks, hide(EO) in the ground
    from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty!(EP)
11 The eyes of the arrogant(EQ) will be humbled(ER)
    and human pride(ES) brought low;(ET)
the Lord alone will be exalted(EU) in that day.(EV)

12 The Lord Almighty has a day(EW) in store
    for all the proud(EX) and lofty,(EY)
for all that is exalted(EZ)
    (and they will be humbled),(FA)
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,(FB) tall and lofty,(FC)
    and all the oaks of Bashan,(FD)
14 for all the towering mountains
    and all the high hills,(FE)
15 for every lofty tower(FF)
    and every fortified wall,(FG)
16 for every trading ship[d](FH)
    and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low(FI)
    and human pride humbled;(FJ)
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,(FK)
18     and the idols(FL) will totally disappear.(FM)

19 People will flee to caves(FN) in the rocks
    and to holes in the ground(FO)
from the fearful presence(FP) of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,(FQ)
    when he rises to shake the earth.(FR)
20 In that day(FS) people will throw away
    to the moles and bats(FT)
their idols of silver and idols of gold,(FU)
    which they made to worship.(FV)
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks(FW)
    and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,(FX)
    when he rises(FY) to shake the earth.(FZ)

22 Stop trusting in mere humans,(GA)
    who have but a breath(GB) in their nostrils.
    Why hold them in esteem?(GC)

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:(GD)
all supplies of food(GE) and all supplies of water,(GF)
    the hero and the warrior,(GG)
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner(GH) and the elder,(GI)
the captain of fifty(GJ) and the man of rank,(GK)
    the counselor, skilled craftsman(GL) and clever enchanter.(GM)

“I will make mere youths their officials;
    children will rule over them.”(GN)

People will oppress each other—
    man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(GO)
The young will rise up against the old,
    the nobody against the honored.

A man will seize one of his brothers
    in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
    take charge of this heap of ruins!”
But in that day(GP) he will cry out,
    “I have no remedy.(GQ)
I have no food(GR) or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.”(GS)

Jerusalem staggers,
    Judah is falling;(GT)
their words(GU) and deeds(GV) are against the Lord,
    defying(GW) his glorious presence.
The look on their faces testifies(GX) against them;
    they parade their sin like Sodom;(GY)
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    They have brought disaster(GZ) upon themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it will be well(HA) with them,
    for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(HB)
11 Woe to the wicked!(HC)
    Disaster(HD) is upon them!
They will be paid back(HE)
    for what their hands have done.(HF)

12 Youths(HG) oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(HH)
    they turn you from the path.

13 The Lord takes his place in court;(HI)
    he rises to judge(HJ) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(HK)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder(HL) from the poor(HM) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(HN)
    and grinding(HO) the faces of the poor?”(HP)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(HQ)

16 The Lord says,
    “The women of Zion(HR) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(HS)
    flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
    with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
    the Lord will make their scalps bald.(HT)

18 In that day(HU) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,(HV) 19 the earrings and bracelets(HW) and veils,(HX) 20 the headdresses(HY) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings,(HZ) 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,(IA) the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments(IB) and tiaras(IC) and shawls.

24 Instead of fragrance(ID) there will be a stench;(IE)
    instead of a sash,(IF) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(IG)
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(IH)
    instead of beauty,(II) branding.(IJ)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(IK)
    your warriors in battle.(IL)
26 The gates(IM) of Zion will lament and mourn;(IN)
    destitute,(IO) she will sit on the ground.(IP)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:17 Or justice. / Correct the oppressor
  2. Isaiah 1:25 That is, against Jerusalem
  3. Isaiah 2:9 Or not raise them up
  4. Isaiah 2:16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshish

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those (A)who seemed influential) the gospel that (B)I proclaim among the Gentiles, (C)in order to make sure I was not running or had not (D)run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, (E)was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. (F)Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who (G)slipped in to spy out (H)our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, (I)so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that (J)the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. And from those (K)who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; (L)God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential (M)added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been (N)entrusted with (O)the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, (P)who seemed to be (Q)pillars, perceived the (R)grace that was given to me, they (S)gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, (T)the very thing I was eager to do.

Paul Opposes Peter

11 But (U)when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him (V)to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, (W)he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing (X)the circumcision party.[a] 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their (Y)conduct was not in step with (Z)the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas (AA)before them all, “If you, though a Jew, (AB)live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Justified by Faith

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not (AC)Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that (AD)a person is not justified[b] by works of the law (AE)but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, (AF)because by works of the law no one will be justified.

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found (AG)to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I (AH)died to the law, so that I might (AI)live to God. 20 I have been (AJ)crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives (AK)in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, (AL)who loved me and (AM)gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for (AN)if righteousness[c] were through the law, (AO)then Christ died for no purpose.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 2:12 Or fearing those of the circumcision
  2. Galatians 2:16 Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16); also verse 17
  3. Galatians 2:21 Or justification

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem,(A) this time with Barnabas.(B) I took Titus(C) along also. I went in response to a revelation(D) and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.(E) I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race(F) in vain. Yet not even Titus,(G) who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.(H) This matter arose because some false believers(I) had infiltrated our ranks to spy on(J) the freedom(K) we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel(L) might be preserved for you.

As for those who were held in high esteem(M)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism(N)—they added nothing to my message.(O) On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task(P) of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,[a](Q) just as Peter(R) had been to the circumcised.[b] For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle(S) to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle(T) to the Gentiles. James,(U) Cephas[c](V) and John, those esteemed as pillars,(W) gave me and Barnabas(X) the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.(Y) They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,(Z) and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,(AA) the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

Paul Opposes Cephas

11 When Cephas(AB) came to Antioch,(AC) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James,(AD) he used to eat with the Gentiles.(AE) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.(AF) 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas(AG) was led astray.

14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,(AH) I said to Cephas(AI) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.(AJ) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?(AK)

15 “We who are Jews by birth(AL) and not sinful Gentiles(AM) 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,(AN) but by faith in Jesus Christ.(AO) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in[d] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.(AP)

17 “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners,(AQ) doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!(AR) 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

19 “For through the law I died to the law(AS) so that I might live for God.(AT) 20 I have been crucified with Christ(AU) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.(AV) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,(AW) who loved me(AX) and gave himself for me.(AY) 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,(AZ) Christ died for nothing!”[e]

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 2:7 That is, Gentiles
  2. Galatians 2:7 That is, Jews; also in verses 8 and 9
  3. Galatians 2:9 That is, Peter; also in verses 11 and 14
  4. Galatians 2:16 Or but through the faithfulness of … justified on the basis of the faithfulness of
  5. Galatians 2:21 Some interpreters end the quotation after verse 14.