with all the brothers who are with me. To the churches of Galatia greeting.

I am amazed that you are so soon shifting your ground, and deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ,

for another gospel, which indeed is not another; only there are certain individuals who are troubling you, and desiring to pervert the gospel of Christ.

But when I saw that they were not walking a straight path, in the presence of the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all. "If you, although you are a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, why do you try to compel the Gentiles to become Jews?

"We are Jews by birth, and not 'Gentile sinners';

Are you so without sense? After beginning with the Spirit, will you now end with the flesh?

Notice then that the true sons of Abraham are children of faith.

So then they who are children of faith are blessed with Abraham the faithful;

but now that the Faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor-slave.

You are all sons of God through your faith in Jesus Christ.

In him there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.

And because you are sons, God sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Dear, dear Father!"

Now, however, when you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you are beginning to turn back to those weak and beggarly externalities, eager to be in bondage to them again?

You are scrupulous, are you, in observing "days" and "months" and "seasons" and "years"?

Brothers, I beseech you, become as I am, because I also have become as you are. You never did me any wrong;

These men are courting your favor to no good purpose. They want to isolate you, so that you will be courting their favor.

Now all this is an allegory, for these women are the two covenants; one from Mount Sinai, which is Hagar bearing children into bondage

For it is written, Rejoice, O thou barren one who dost never bear, Break forth in joy, thou that dost not travail; For the children of the desolate woman are many. Yea, more than hers who has a husband.

But you, brothers, are like Isaac, children of the promise;

So, brothers, we are the children of no slave woman, but of free woman. For freedom did not Christ set us free;

Listen to me! I, Paul, declare to you that if you are to continue to follow the rite of circumcision, Christ will be no profit to you.

If you are being justified by law, you are cut off from Christ; you are fallen away from grace.

But we are not, for we through the Spirit are eagerly waiting by faith for a hope of righteousness (a hope well founded);

Would to God that those who are trying to unsettle you would even have themselves mutilated.

But if you are always biting and devouring one another, take heed lest you be utterly consumed one by another.

For the desire of the flesh is against that of the Spirit, and the desire of the Spirit is against that of the flesh, for they two are antagonistic, so that you may not do those things that you wish.

But if you are habitually led by the Spirit you are not under law.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest; such, for instance, as fornication, impurity, indecency,

If we are living by the Spirit, let us also keep step in the Spirit.

Even if any one should be overtaken in a fault, brothers, you that are spiritual ought, in a gentle spirit, to restore such a one, each one of you looking to himself, lest you too be tempted.

So then, as we have opportunity, let is do good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Those who are trying to compel you to be circumcised are such as wish to make a fair show in the flesh, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

Even those who are being circumcised, are not themselves keeping the Law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may glory in your flesh.