| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. | 1Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, taking Titus along too. |
| 2I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. | 2I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running--or had not run--in vain. |
| 3But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. | 3Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. |
| 4Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— | 4Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. |
| 5to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. | 5But we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. |
| 6And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. | 6But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people)--those influential leaders added nothing to my message. |
| 7On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised | 7On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was to the circumcised |
| 8(for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), | 8(for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) |
| 9and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. | 9and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. |
| 10Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. | 10They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do. |
| 11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. | 11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. |
| 12For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. | 12Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. |
| 13And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. | 13And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy. |
| 14But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” | 14But 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?" |
| 15We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; | 15We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, |
| 16yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. | 16yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. |
| 17But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! | 17But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not! |
| 18For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. | 18But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God's law. |
| 19For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. | 19For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. |
| 20I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. | 20I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. |
| 21I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. | 21I do not set aside God's grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing! |
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