Galatians 5 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

The One set us free so we could actually be free. So stand your ground and don't let anyone put you back under the weight of slavery again.

Listen — I, Paul, am telling you directly: if you get circumcised thinking it will make you right with God, then The One becomes completely worthless to you.

I'll say it again to every person who gets circumcised: you're now obligated to follow the entire law — every single rule.

If you're trying to be made right with God through the law, you've cut yourselves off from The One. You've walked away from undeserved kindness.

Because through the Breath, by trust, we are eagerly waiting for the hope of being fully made right.

Because when you're connected to The One Jesus, circumcision doesn't matter at all, and neither does being uncircumcised. The only thing that matters is trust working itself out through love.

You were running so well! Who got in your way and stopped you from following the truth?

This pressure to conform isn't coming from the one who called you.

It only takes a little yeast to work its way through the entire batch of dough.

I'm confident in the Lord that you'll come around to seeing it my way. And whoever is stirring up confusion among you — they will face the consequences, no matter who they are.

And as for me, brothers and sisters — if I were still preaching circumcision, why would I still be getting persecuted? If I were, then the offense of the execution stake would be wiped out.

As for those agitators — I wish they'd go the whole way and castrate themselves!

You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters. Just don't use your freedom as an excuse to do whatever your selfish instincts want. Instead, serve each other through love.

Because the entire law can be summed up in one statement: "Love the person next to you as you love yourself."

But if you keep tearing into each other — biting and devouring one another — watch out, or you'll end up destroying each other completely.

Here's what I'm saying: let the Breath guide your life, and you won't end up doing what your selfish instincts crave.

Because your selfish instincts crave what goes against the Breath, and the Breath wants what goes against your selfish instincts. They are directly opposed to each other — which is why you can't just do whatever you feel like.

But if you're being led by the Breath, you're not under the law.

Now, what your selfish instincts produce is obvious: sexual immorality, moral corruption, total lack of restraint,

idol worship, involvement with dark spiritual forces, hatred, constant conflict, jealousy, explosive anger, selfish ambition, divisions, an us-versus-them mentality,

envy, drunkenness, out-of-control partying, and other things like these. I'm warning you now, just like I warned you before: people who make a habit of living this way will not inherit God's kingdom.

But what the Breath produces looks like this: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, and self-control. There's no law against any of these.

Those who belong to The One Jesus have nailed their selfish instincts to the execution stake — with all its cravings and desires.

If we're alive because of the Breath, let's actually follow the Breath's lead.

Let's not become arrogant — provoking each other and envying each other.