To the Galatians 5:1-26
5 For such freedom Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm,+ and do not let yourselves be confined again in a yoke of slavery.+
2 See! I, Paul, am telling you that if you become circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.+
3 Again I bear witness to every man who gets circumcised that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.+
4 You are separated from Christ, you who are trying to be declared righteous by means of law;+ you have fallen away from his undeserved kindness.
5 For our part, we are by spirit eagerly waiting for the hoped-for righteousness resulting from faith.
6 For in union with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any value,+ but faith operating through love is.
7 You were running well.+ Who hindered you from continuing to obey the truth?
8 This sort of persuasion does not come from the One calling you.
9 A little leaven ferments the whole batch of dough.+
10 I am confident that you who are in union with the Lord+ will not come to think otherwise; but the one who is causing you trouble,+ whoever he may be, will receive the judgment he deserves.
11 As for me, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the stumbling block of the torture stake*+ has been eliminated.
12 I wish the men who are trying to unsettle you would emasculate themselves.*
13 You were called to freedom, brothers; only do not use this freedom as an opportunity to pursue fleshly desires,+ but through love slave for one another.+
14 For the entire Law has been fulfilled* in one commandment, namely: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”+
15 If, though, you keep on biting and devouring one another,+ look out that you do not get annihilated by one another.+
16 But I say, Keep walking by spirit+ and you will carry out no fleshly desire at all.+
17 For the flesh is against the spirit in its desire, and the spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do the very things you want to do.+
18 Furthermore, if you are being led by spirit, you are not under law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are plainly seen, and they are sexual immorality,*+ uncleanness, brazen conduct,*+
20 idolatry, spiritism,*+ hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, dissensions, divisions, sects,
21 envy, drunkenness,+ wild parties,* and things like these.+ I am forewarning you about these things, the same way I already warned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.+
22 On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,* kindness, goodness,+ faith,
23 mildness, self-control.+ Against such things there is no law.
24 Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed to the stake the flesh together with its passions and desires.+
25 If we are living by spirit, let us also go on walking orderly by spirit.+
26 Let us not become egotistical,+ stirring up competition with one another,+ envying one another.
