Galatians 3:7–22

⁷Know then that it is ⁱthose of faith who are ^jthe sons of Abraham. ⁸And the Scripture, foreseeing that ^kGod would justify³ the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ^l“In you shall all the nations be blessed.” ⁹So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

¹⁰For all who rely on works of the law are ^munder a curse; for it is written, ⁿ“Cursed be everyone who does not ^oabide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹Now it is evident that ^pno one is justified before God by the law, for ^q“The righteous shall live by faith.”^{4 12}But the law is not of faith, rather ^r“The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³Christ ^sredeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ^t“Cursed is everyone who is hanged ^uon a tree”— ¹⁴so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^vcome to the Gentiles, so that ^wwe might receive ^xthe promised Spirit⁵ through faith.

The Law and the Promise

^15yTo give a human example, brothers:^{6 z}even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶Now ^athe promises were made ^bto Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, ^c“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. ¹⁷This is what I mean: the law, which came ^d430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as ^eto make the promise void. ¹⁸For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but ^fGod gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹Why then the law? ^gIt was added because of transgressions, ^huntil the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ⁱput in place through angels ^jby an intermediary. ²⁰Now ^kan intermediary implies more than one, but ^lGod is one.

²¹Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For ^mif a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²²But the Scripture ⁿimprisoned everything under sin, so that ^othe promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given ^pto those who believe.