I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel --

not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

But I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, "If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners,

Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort?

so then, understand that those who believe are the sons of Abraham.

So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.

For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law."

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female -- for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

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

And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls "Abba! Father!"

So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son, then you are also an heir through God.

Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all.

You are observing religious days and months and seasons and years.

For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband."

But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.

You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!

However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

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

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity,

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.

Those who want to make a good showing in external matters are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh.