GAL 5:17 Parallel View

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The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

OET (OET-RV) Because our earthly desires oppose the spirit, and the spirit opposes our earthly desires—they oppose each other so that’s why you end up doing things that you didn’t really want to do.

Key: yellow:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. For these oppose each other, so that you are not doing these things that you would desire.

UST This is because your sinful selves want to do what is contrary to what the Holy Spirit wants to do. Also, what the Holy Spirit wants to do is contrary to what your sinful selves want to do. This is because they are always against each other. The result is that you do not always do the good things that you truly want to do.

BSB For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.

BLB For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are opposed to one another in order that you should not do those things you might wish.

AICNT For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.

OEB For these cravings of our earthly nature conflict with the Spirit, and the Spirit with our earthly nature – they are two contrary principles – so that you cannot do what you wish.

WEB For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.

NET For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

LSV for the flesh desires contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit contrary to the flesh, and these are opposed to one another, that the things that you may will—these you may not do;

FBV For the desires of the sinful nature are opposed to the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to the sinful nature. They fight one another, so you don't do what you want to do.

TCNT For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh. These are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the very things you want to do.

T4T Your self-directed nature ◄opposes God’s Spirit/does not want you to do what God’s Spirit wants you to do►, but also his Spirit opposes your self-directed nature. These two are always ◄fighting with/opposing► each other. The result is that you do not constantly do the good deeds that you truly desire to do.

LEB 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.

BBE For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; because these are opposite the one to the other; so that you may not do the things which you have a mind to do.

MOF No MOF GAL book available

ASV For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.

DRA For the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary one to another: so that you do not the things that you would.

YLT for the flesh doth desire contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit contrary to the flesh, and these are opposed one to another, that the things that ye may will — these ye may not do;

DBY For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these things are opposed one to the other, that ye should not do those things which ye desire;

RV For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.

WBS 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.

KJB 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.
(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/you_all cannot do the things that ye/you_all would. )

BB For the flesshe lusteth contrary to the spirite, and the spirite contrary to the flesshe. These are contrary one to the other, so that ye can not do what ye woulde.
(For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit, and the spirit contrary to the flesh. These are contrary one to the other, so that ye/you_all cannot do what ye/you_all woulde.)

GNV For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary one to another, so that ye can not doe the same things that ye would.
(For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary one to another, so that ye/you_all cannot do the same things that ye/you_all would. )

CB For the flesh lusteth agaynst the sprete, and the sprete agaynst the flesh. These are contrary one to the other, so that ye can not do that which ye wolde:
(For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These are contrary one to the other, so that ye/you_all cannot do that which ye/you_all wolde:)

TNT For the flesshe lusteth contrary to the sprete and the sprete cotrary to the flesshe. These are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot do that which ye wolde.
(For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirit cotrary to the flesh. These are contrary one to the other so that ye/you_all cannot do that which ye/you_all wolde. )

WYC For the fleisch coueitith ayens the spirit, and the spirit ayen the fleisch; for these ben aduersaries togidere, that ye don not alle thingis that ye wolen.
(For the flesh coueitith against the spirit, and the spirit ayen the flesh; for these been aduersaries together, that ye/you_all done not all things that ye/you_all wolen.)

LUT Denn das Fleisch gelüstet wider den Geist und den Geist wider das Fleisch. Dieselbigen sind wider einander, daß ihr nicht tut, was ihr wollt.
(Because the flesh gelüstet against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. Dieselbigen are against einander, that her not tut, was her wollt.)

CLV Caro enim concupiscit adversus spiritum, spiritus autem adversus carnem: hæc enim sibi invicem adversantur, ut non quæcumque vultis, illa faciatis.[fn]
(Caro because concupiscit adversus spiritum, spiritus however adversus carnem: this because sibi invicem adversantur, as not/no quæcumque vultis, illa faciatis.)

5.17 Caro enim concupiscit, etc. Caro dicta est concupiscere, quia hoc secundum ipsam agit anima, sicut auris dicitur audire, et oculus videre, cum potius anima et per aurem audiat, et per oculum videat. Caro enim nihil, nisi per animam concupiscit, sed concupiscere dicitur, cum anima car nali concupiscentia spiritui reluctatur. Ipsius enim carnalis concupiscentiæ causa non est in anima, ex utroque enim fit, quia sine utroque delectatio nulla sentitur.

5.17 Caro because concupiscit, etc. Caro dicta it_is concupiscere, because hoc after/second ipsam agit anima, like auris it_is_said audire, and oculus videre, when/with potius anima and per aurem audiat, and per oculum videat. Caro because nihil, nisi per animam concupiscit, but concupiscere it_is_said, when/with anima car nali concupiscentia spiritui reluctatur. Ipsius because carnalis concupiscentiæ causa not/no it_is in anima, ex utroque because fit, because without utroque delectatio nulla sentitur.

UGNT ἡ γὰρ σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκός; ταῦτα γὰρ ἀλλήλοις ἀντίκειται, ἵνα μὴ ἃ ἐὰν θέλητε ταῦτα ποιῆτε.
(haʸ gar sarx epithumei kata tou Pneumatos, to de Pneuma kata taʸs sarkos? tauta gar allaʸlois antikeitai, hina maʸ ha ean thelaʸte tauta poiaʸte.)

SBL-GNT ἡ γὰρ σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκός, ταῦτα ⸀γὰρ ⸂ἀλλήλοις ἀντίκειται⸃, ἵνα μὴ ἃ ⸀ἐὰν θέλητε ταῦτα ποιῆτε.
(haʸ gar sarx epithumei kata tou pneumatos, to de pneuma kata taʸs sarkos, tauta ⸀gar ⸂allaʸlois antikeitai⸃, hina maʸ ha ⸀ean thelaʸte tauta poiaʸte. )

TC-GNT Ἡ γὰρ σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκός· ταῦτα [fn]δὲ [fn]ἀντίκειται ἀλλήλοις, ἵνα μὴ ἃ [fn]ἂν θέλητε, ταῦτα ποιῆτε.
(Haʸ gar sarx epithumei kata tou pneumatos, to de pneuma kata taʸs sarkos; tauta de antikeitai allaʸlois, hina maʸ ha an thelaʸte, tauta poiaʸte.)

5:17 δε ¦ γαρ CT

5:17 αντικειται αλληλοις ¦ αλληλοις αντικειται CT

5:17 αν ¦ εαν CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

The Law and the Spirit

An enduring question of the Christian faith is, Do Christians need to keep the Old Testament law in order to become mature followers of Christ? Does following God’s law provide sanctification?

When the Christians in Galatia had received the Good News of salvation through faith in Christ, they had also received the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of their status as believers. Not only had God given his Spirit to them, but he had also worked miracles among them (Gal 3:5). They knew from experience that the Holy Spirit has the power to make them new people, and Paul had taught them to rely on the Spirit to guide them.

Shortly after Paul left Galatia, Jewish-Christian teachers arrived who taught the need to observe God’s law, both to be accepted by God and to be sanctified and become mature. They argued that Paul’s approach to sanctification by the Spirit would lead to lawlessness and sin.

Paul responded that, just as God counts us as righteous by faith, so also he makes us righteous by faith, through the working of the Spirit (Gal 5:16-26). Those who rely on the Spirit and follow his leading will not sin—God’s Spirit will never lead people to sin.

The real problem is not a lack of understanding regarding right and wrong. Our God-given conscience tells us when we’re doing wrong, and God’s law makes the requirements of his righteousness even clearer (Rom 7:7-12). The real problem is that, by nature, our hearts are hard and sinful, and we lack the wisdom to know the right thing to do in a given situation. By nature, we are unable to apply God’s word in a way that is consistent with his intentions.

The law cannot ameliorate our condition. But when the Holy Spirit guides and controls us, he changes our hearts to do the things that please God (Gal 5:22-23; Rom 8:5-14). God’s Spirit guides his people to fulfill his law in its true sense and intent. But fulfillment of the law must not be the goal or focus—the law is just our guardian (Gal 3:24-25). Instead, we focus on trusting God, relying on the Spirit, and loving others. God’s Spirit gives us the will and the power to do these things in a way that pleases God.

Passages for Further Study

Num 11:16-17, 24-30; Jer 31:33-34; Ezek 36:26-27; Luke 24:49; Acts 5:32; Rom 7:1–8:17; 12:2; 2 Cor 3:7-18; Gal 3:2-5; 5:5, 16-26; Heb 12:14-29

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

γὰρ

for

Here, the word For indicates that what follows is the reason why Paul commanded his readers to walk by the Spirit in the previous verse. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a reason. Alternate translation: “I say this to you because”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἡ & σὰρξ & τῆς σαρκός

the & flesh & the flesh

See how you translated the phrase the flesh in 5:13 and in the previous verse.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἡ & σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος

the & flesh /is/_desiring against the Spirit

The phrase desires against implies desiring to do what is against the Spirit. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “the flesh desires to do things that are against the Spirit”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

ἡ & σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ

the & flesh /is/_desiring

Here, Paul speaks of the flesh as if it were a person who desires. He is referring to what a person desires to do as a result of having a sinful human nature. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “what you want to do because of your sinful nature is” or “the things you want to do because you are sinful are”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

τὸ & Πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκός

the & /the/_Spirit against the flesh

Paul is leaving out a word that a clause would need in many languages to be complete. If if would be helpful in your language, you could supply the word from the previous clause. Alternate translation: “the Spirit desires against the flesh”

Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

(Occurrence 2) γὰρ

for

For here indicates that what follows is the reason why the desires of the flesh and the Spirit are against each other. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a reason. Alternate translation: “This is for the reason that”

Note 7 topic: writing-pronouns

ταῦτα

these

The pronoun these refers to the flesh and the Spirit. If if would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “the flesh and the Spirit”

Note 8 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

ἵνα

in_order_that

Here, so that indicates that what follows is the result of what Paul said in the previous clause. Use a natural way in your language for indicating result. Alternate translation: “and as a result,”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἃ & θέλητε ταῦτα

whatever_‹things› & ˱you_all˲_/may_be/_wanting these_‹things›

This clause refers to the good things that Christians want to do. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “those good things that you would desire to do as Christians”

Parallel GAL 5:17