Christ Has Set Us Free
1 For freedom Christ has set us tfree; ustand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a vyoke of wslavery.
2 xLook: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to yevery man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified1 by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by zfaith, we ourselves eagerly await for the bhope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus cneither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
7 You were drunning well. eWho hindered you from obeying the ftruth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 gA little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 hI have confidence in the Lord that iyou will take no other view, and the one who is jtroubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers,2 still preach3 circumcision, kwhy am I still being persecuted? In that case the loffense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would memasculate themselves!
13 For you were called to nfreedom, brothers. oOnly do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love pserve one another. 14 For qthe whole law is fulfilled in one word: r“You shall slove your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Keep in Step with the Spirit
16 But I say, twalk by the Spirit, and you will unot gratify the vdesires of the flesh. 17 For wthe desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, xto keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are yled by the zSpirit, you are anot under the law. 19 Now bthe works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,4 drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that cthose who do5 such things dwill not einherit the kingdom of God. 22 But fthe fruit of the Spirit is glove, hjoy, ipeace, jpatience, kkindness, lgoodness, mfaithfulness, 23 ngentleness, oself-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And pthose who qbelong to Christ Jesus have rcrucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become sconceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
1 zA soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 aThe tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3 bThe eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 cA gentle1 tongue is a dtree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5 A fool edespises his father’s finstruction,
but whoever gheeds reproof is prudent.
6 In hthe house of the righteous there is much treasure,
but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
not so the hearts of fools.2
8 iThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
jbut the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but he loves him who pursues righteousness.
10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;
whoever khates reproof will die.
11 Sheol and Abaddon lie lopen before the Lord;
how much more mthe hearts of the children of man!
12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved;
he will not go to the wise.
13 nA glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but oby sorrow of heart the spirit is pcrushed.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
16 qBetter is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 rBetter is a dinner of herbs where love is
than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
18 sA hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
but he who is tslow to anger quiets contention.
19 The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,
but the path of the upright is a level highway.
20 uA wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
but a man of vunderstanding walks straight ahead.
22 wWithout counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.
23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
and xa word in season, how good it is!
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent,
that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud
but maintains the widow’s boundaries.
26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
but ygracious words are pure.
27 Whoever is zgreedy for unjust gain atroubles his own household,
but he who hates bbribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
and cgood news refreshes3 the bones.
31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever dignores einstruction despises himself,
but he who listens to reproof fgains intelligence.
33 gThe fear of the Lord is hinstruction in wisdom,
and ihumility comes before honor.
