^5:16But I say, live²⁸ by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.²⁹^5:17For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires³⁰ that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to³¹ each other, so that you cannot do what you want. ^5:18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ^5:19Now the works of the flesh³² are obvious:³³ sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, ^5:20idolatry, sorcery,³⁴ hostilities,³⁵ strife,³⁶ jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions,³⁷ factions, ^5:21envying,³⁸ murder,³⁹ drunkenness, carousing,⁴⁰ and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

^5:22But the fruit of the Spirit⁴¹ is love,⁴² joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,⁴³^5:23gentleness, and⁴⁴ self-control. Against such things there is no law. ^5:24Now those who belong to Christ⁴⁵ have crucified the flesh⁴⁶ with its passions⁴⁷ and desires.

Read in Logos

Galatians 5:22–23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Footnotes

28 Grk “walk” (a common NT idiom for how one conducts one’s life or how one behaves).
29 On the term “flesh” (once in this verse and twice in v. 17) see the note on the same word in .
30 The words “has desires” do not occur in the Greek text a second time, but are repeated in the translation for clarity.
31 Or “are hostile toward” (L&N 39.1).
32 See the note on the word “flesh” in .
33 Or “clear,” “evident.”
34 Or “witchcraft.”
35 Or “enmities,” “[acts of] hatred.”
36 Or “discord” (L&N 39.22).
37 Or “discord(s)” (L&N 39.13).
38 This term is plural in Greek (as is “murder” and “carousing”), but for clarity these abstract nouns have been translated as singular.
39 φόνοι (phonoi, “murders”) is absent in such important as 𝔓46 א B 33 81 323 945 sa, while the majority of (A C D F G Ψ 0122 0278 1739 1881 𝔐 lat) have the word. Although the pedigree of the which lack the term is of the highest degree, homoioteleuton may well explain the shorter reading. The preceding word has merely one letter difference, making it quite possible to overlook this term (φθόνοι φόνοι, phthonoi phonoi).
40 Or “revelings,” “orgies” (L&N 88.287).
41 That is, the fruit the Spirit produces.
42 Another way to punctuate this is “love” followed by a colon (love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). It is thus possible to read the eight characteristics following “love” as defining love.
43 Or “reliability”; see πίστις 1.a.
44 “And” is supplied here as a matter of English style, which normally inserts “and” between the last two elements of a list or series.
45 Some (א A B C P Ψ 01221 0278 33 1175 1739 co) read “Christ Jesus” here, while many significant ones (𝔓46 D F G 0122*,2 latt sy), as well as the Byzantine text, lack “Jesus.” The Byzantine text is especially not prone to omit the name “Jesus”; that it does so here argues for the authenticity of the shorter reading (for similar instances of probably authentic Byzantine shorter readings, see Matt 24:36 and Phil 1:14; cf. also W.-H. J. Wu, “A Systematic Analysis of the Shorter Readings in the Byzantine Text of the Synoptic Gospels” [Ph.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002]). On the strength of the alignment of 𝔓46 with the Western and Byzantine texttypes, the shorter reading is preferred. includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
46 See the note on the word “flesh” in .
47 The Greek term παθήμασιν (pathēmasin, translated “passions”) refers to strong physical desires, especially of a sexual nature (L&N 25.30).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the 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, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

NLTNew Living Translation

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

But I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another, so that whatever you want, you may not do these things. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, things which I am telling you in advance, just as I said before, that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh together with its feelings and its desires.

KJV 1900King James Version

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

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