to whom be the glory for ever and ever! Amen.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel to you contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed!

As we have said before, so I now say again, If any one preach a gospel to you contrary to that which ye received, let him be accursed!

For do I now seek the favor of men, or of God? Or am I endeavoring to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

But I assure you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not after man;

for I did not receive it from man nor was I taught it by any man, but it was revealed to me by Jesus Christ.

and I was unknown by face to the churches of Judaea which were in Christ;

And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the gentiles; but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised;

to whom not even for an hour did we yield by the required subjection, that the truth of the gospel might still remain with you.

But from those who were reputed to be somewhatwhatever they were, it matters not to me, (God accepteth no mans person,) for to me those in reputation communicated nothing new.

and when they knew the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the gentiles, and they to the circumcised;

We are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the gentiles;

but knowing that a man is not accepted as righteous by the works of the Law, but by faith in Christ Jesus, we also have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted as righteous by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be accepted as righteous.

But while seeking to be accepted as righteous in Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Far be it!

This only I desire to learn from you: Was it from the works of the Law that ye received the Spirit, or by the preaching of faith?

Have ye suffered so much in vain? if indeed it be really in vain.

Doth he then who is supplying to you the Spirit, and working miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by the preaching of faith?

Moreover the Scripture, foreseeing that God was to accept the gentiles as righteous by faith, proclaimed beforehand the glad tidings to Abraham, saying, "In thee shall all nations be blessed."

But further, that through the observance of the Law no one is accepted as righteous with God is evident; for "the righteous shall live by faith."

And what I mean is this; that a covenant that was before ratified by God, the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, cannot annul, so as to make void the promise;

for if the inheritance cometh from the Law, it ceaseth to be the consequence of the promise; but to Abraham God gave it by promise.

To what end then was the Law? It was added because of transgressions, till the offspring should come to whom the promise belongeth, having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Is then the Law against the promises of God? Far be it! For if a law had been given which was able to give life, righteousness would indeed have been by the Law;

but the Scripture shut up all under sin, that the blessing promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

But before faith came, we were kept in ward under the Law, shut up unto the faith which was to be revealed.

So then the Law hath been our schoolmaster, to lead us to Christ, that we might be accepted as righteous through faith;

but is under guardians and stewards, until the time appointed by the father.

to redeem those under the Law, that we might be adopted as sons.

but now, after having known God, or rather having been known by God, how is it that ye are turning back to the weak and beggarly rudiments to which ye wish to be again in bondage?

They show a zeal for you, but not in honesty; yea, they wish to exclude you, that ye may be zealous for them.

But it is good to be an object of zeal in what is good always, and not only when I am present with you.

My children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you,

I could wish indeed to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am in perplexity about you.

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law, do ye not hear the Law?

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by the bondwoman, the other by the freewoman.

But the one by the bondwoman was born after the flesh; while the one by the freewoman was through the promise.

But what saith the scripture? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman."

Stand firm in the liberty with which Christ made us free, and be not again bound fast to the yoke of bondage.

For we through the Spirit by faith steadfastly wait for the hope of righteousness.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working by love.

I indeed have confidence in regard to you in the Lord, that ye will be no otherwise minded; but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whoever he may be.

But as for me, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then hath the cross ceased to be a stumblingblock.

For ye, brethren, were called to liberty; only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by your love serve one another.

But if ye bite and devour one another, beware lest ye be consumed by one another.

But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the Law.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Brethren, even if a man be detected in a fault, do ye who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

For if a man thinketh himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap;

And let us not be fainthearted in welldoing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, these are constraining you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

And as many as walk by this rule, peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are [in Ephesus], and believers in Christ Jesus:

Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly regions in Christ;

according as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him;

having in love predestinated us for himself to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,

that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who have before placed our hope in the Messiah;

and put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church,

among whom even we all had our way of life in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath, even as others;

even when dead through our trespasses, life with Christ,by grace have ye been saved,

For by grace ye have been saved, through faith; and this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God;

Wherefore remember, that in time past ye, the gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcised by those who are called circumcised, having the circumcision of the flesh, performed by hand,

but now, in Christ Jesus, ye, who formerly were afar off, have been brought nigh by the blood of Christ.

and might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, having slain on it the enmity.

that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,

which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

to the intent that now to the principalities and powers in the heavenly regions might be known through the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Wherefore I entreat you not to be disheartened by the troubles I am suffering for you, since they are your glory.

that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, ye having been rooted and grounded in love,

that ye may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,

and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God.

to him be the glory in the church in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and borne about by every wind of teaching, through the dishonest tricks of men, and their cunning in the wily arts of error;

from whom the whole body, well put together and compacted by means of every supplying joint, is, according to the working of each part in its proportion, building itself up in love.

and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

"Be angry, and sin not;" let not the sun go down upon your wrath;

Let no foul language proceed out of your mouth, but whatever is good for edification, as the need may be, that it may benefit the hearers;

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evilspeaking, be put away from you, with all malice;

and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children;

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints,

Be not therefore partakers with them.

For the things done in secret by them it is a shame even to speak of.

But all things, when reproved, are made manifest by the light; for whatever maketh manifest is light.

Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

And be not drunk with wine, in which is dissoluteness, but be filled with the Spirit,

But as the church is subject to Christ, so let wives be to their husbands in everything.

that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the bath of the water in the word;

that he himself might present to himself the church, glorious, having no spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

"For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh."

"that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst live long on the earth."

knowing that whatever good each one shall have done, that shall he receive from the Lord, whether he be bondman or free.

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil;