But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Now the law of Moses is not based on one's faith, for [Lev. 18:5 says], "The person who obeys the requirements of the law of Moses will obtain life by doing so."

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect.

For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

God, however, is only one. Is the Law then opposed to the promises of God? No, indeed; for if a Law had been given which could have conferred Life, righteousness would certainly have come by the Law.

Now before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, [perpetually] imprisoned [in preparation] for the faith that was destined to be revealed,

But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus.

Now, if, ye, are of Christ, by consequence ye are, Abraham's seed, according to promise, heirs.

Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

Now because you are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to cry out, "Abba! Father!"

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [to the point of exhaustion] over you in vain.

I beseech you, brethren, become as I am , for I also am become as ye are . Ye did me no wrong:

Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

Where then is your sense of happiness now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me!

Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them.

Now it is always good to be enthusiastic about good—and not just when I am with you.

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

Now the son by the servant-woman has his birth after the flesh; but the son by the free woman has his birth through the undertaking of God.

Now these facts are about to be used [by me] as an allegory [that is, I will illustrate by using them]: for these women can represent two covenants: one [covenant originated] from Mount Sinai [where the Law was given] that bears children [destined] for slavery; she is Hagar.

For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

For it is in the Writings, You who have never given birth, be glad; give cries of joy, you who have had no birth-pains; for the children of her who has been given up by her husband are more than those of the woman who has a husband.

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave-woman and her son; for in no way shall the son of the slave-woman inherit with the son of the free woman."

Hence we are children of no slave-woman, my brothers, but of the free-woman,

Christ has truly made us free: then keep your free condition and let no man put a yoke on you again.

Notice, it is I, Paul, who tells you that if you receive circumcision [as a supposed requirement of salvation], Christ will be of no benefit to you [for you will lack the faith in Christ that is necessary for salvation].

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Because in Christ Jesus, having circumcision or not having circumcision are equally of no profit; but only faith working through love.

You [Christians] were running [the race of life] well; who hindered you [from making further progress] so that [now] you are no longer obeying the truth?

No such teaching ever proceeded from Him who is calling you.

I have confidence as to you in the Lord, that ye will have no other mind; and he that is troubling you shall bear the guilt of it, whosoever he may be.

Now, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

But I say, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall no way fulfil flesh's lust.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

hard drinking, riotous feasting, and the like. And as to these I forewarn you, as I have already forewarned you, that those who are guilty of such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God.

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Now those {who belong to Christ} have crucified the flesh together with its feelings and its desires.

let us have no vanity, no provoking, no envy of one another.

Now the one who is taught the word must share in all good [things] with the one who teaches.

Make no mistake ??God is not to be mocked ??a man will reap just what he sows;

But no boasting for me, none except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I crucified to the world.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Now may peace be on all those who live by this principle, and may mercy be on the Israel of God.

From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

[This letter is from] Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, according to God's will, [and is being sent] to the saints [i.e., God's holy people] at Ephesus [Note: This was a major city in the western province of Asia Minor, and now a part of Turkey. The words "at Ephesus" are omitted in some manuscripts, suggesting it was a circular letter], and the faithful ones in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus [everywhere else ?].

He is a down payment of our inheritance, until God's own possession [i.e., His people] receives redemption. [Note: Here "redemption" refers to receiving a new body in heaven]. May this bring about praise to God's splendor.

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, whereby ye may know him:

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength

Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

And you being dead in trespasses and sins,??2 in which you formerly walked according to the life of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit which now operates in the children of disobedience,

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment).

For by grace ye are saved, through faith: and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not by works, that no one may boast:

not of works, that no man should glory.

for he hath made us a-new, and form'd us by Christ Jesus to do good works, for which God had before prepared us, that we might live in them.

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

For it is through Him that we both have a [direct] way of approach in one Spirit to the Father.

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

having revealed to me the secret, I now mention'd in short,

whereby, when ye read ye may know mine understanding in the mystery of Christ,

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

[it is this:] that the Gentiles are now joint heirs [with the Jews] and members of the same body, and joint partakers [sharing] in the [same divine] promise in Christ Jesus through [their faith in] the good news [of salvation].

To me, [though I am] the very least of all the saints (God’s people), this grace [which is undeserved] was graciously given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the incomprehensible riches of Christ [that spiritual wealth which no one can fully understand],

and to make plain [to everyone] the plan of the mystery [regarding the uniting of believing Jews and Gentiles into one body] which [until now] was kept hidden through the ages in [the mind of] God who created all things.

To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

In accordance with that purpose which runs through all the ages and which he has now accomplished in Jesus, the Christ, our Master.

by whom we are bold to draw nigh in that trust, which we have by faith on him.

Wherefore I request, that there be no fainting in my tribulations in your behalf, the which is your glory; -

For this reason, on bended knee I beseech the Father,

So that the Christ, through your faith, may make his home within your hearts in love; And I pray that you, now firmly rooted and established, may, with all Christ's People,

ye may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge,

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Now to each one of us was given this grace, according to the measure of Christ's gift.

(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind,

for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart.

Who having no more power of feeling, have given themselves up to evil passions, to do all unclean things with overmuch desire.

However, that is not the way you came to know the Messiah.

And be made new in the spirit of your mind,

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one another [and we are all parts of the body of Christ].

And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And do not grieve God's Holy Spirit by whom you were sealed [i.e., given evidence of God's ownership] until the day of redemption [i.e., until you receive your new body in heaven. See 1:14].