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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Galatians 3 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/galatians/3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/galatians/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ESV</a> > Galatians 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../galatians/2.htm" title="Galatians 2">◄</a> Galatians 3 <a href="../galatians/4.htm" title="Galatians 4">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">English Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/esv/nas/galatians/3.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div></a><div class="chap"><p class="heading">By Faith, or by Works of the Law?</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or now ending with">a</a></sup></span> the flesh? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Did you suffer<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or experience">b</a></sup></span> so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or count righteous; also verses 11, 24">c</a></sup></span> the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.</p> <p class="heading">The Righteous Shall Live by Faith</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or The one who by faith is righteous will live">d</a></sup></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Greek receive the promise of the Spirit">e</a></sup></span> through faith.</p> <p class="heading">The Law and the Promise</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>To give a human example, brothers:<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or brothers and sisters">f</a></sup></span> even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface">g</a></sup></span> nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">3</span> Or <i><span class="catch-word">now</span> ending with</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">4</span> Or <i>experience</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">8</span> Or <i>count righteous</i>; also verses 11, 24<br /><span class="footnotesbot">d</span> <span class="fnverse">11</span> Or <i>The one who by faith is righteous will live</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">e</span> <span class="fnverse">14</span> Greek <i><span class="catch-word">receive the</span> promise of the Spirit</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">f</span> <span class="fnverse">15</span> Or <i><span class="catch-word">brothers</span> and sisters</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">g</span> <span class="fnverse">28</span> For the contextual rendering of the Greek word <i language="Greek">doulos</i>, see <a href="../">>Preface</a><br /></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. 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