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Gal 3 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). 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.
Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=vital (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) All those who strive to be saved by obeying the law are under a curse, because it’s written that ‘everyone is cursed who doesn’t live by and fulfil everything that’s been written down in the law scroll’.[ref]
OET-LV For/Because as_many_as are of the_works of_law are under a_curse, because/for it_has_been_written, that Cursed is everyone who is_ not _remaining_in in_all the things having_been_written in the scroll of_the law, which to_do them.
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SR-GNT Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσὶν ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσίν, γέγραπται γὰρ, ὅτι “Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά.” ‡
(Hosoi gar ex ergōn nomou eisin hupo kataran eisin, gegraptai gar, hoti “Epikataratos pas hos ouk emmenei pasin tois gegrammenois en tōi bibliōi tou nomou, tou poiaʸsai auta.”)
Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT For as many as are of works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the Book of the Law to do them.”
UST That is, God will eternally punish all those who mistakenly think that God will consider them righteous as a result of their trying to obey the laws that God gave to Moses. What Moses wrote in the Scriptures is that God will eternally punish everyone who does not continuously and completely obey all the laws that God instructed him to write in the Book of the Law.
BSB All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[fn]
3:10 Deuteronomy 27:26 (see also LXX)
MSB (Same as BSB above including footnotes)
BLB For as many as are of works of the Law are under a curse, for it has been written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue all things having been written in the book of the Law, to do them."
AICNT For as many as are of works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide {by}[fn] all things written in the book of the law, to do them.”[fn]
OEB All who rely on obedience to Law are under a curse, for scripture says –
⇔ “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all that is written in the book of the Law, and do it.”
WEBBE For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.”
WMBB For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the scroll of the Torah, to do them.”
NET For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, “ Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.”
LSV for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it has been written: “Cursed [is] everyone who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Scroll of the Law—to do them,”
FBV All those who rely on keeping the law[fn] are under a curse, for as Scripture says, “Cursed is everyone who doesn't carefully obey everything that's written in the book of the law.”
3:10 As a means of salvation.
TCNT For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
T4T That is, God will eternally punish all those who mistakenly think that God will erase the record of their sins as a result of their obeying the laws that God gave to Moses. What is written in the Scriptures is that God will eternally punish everyone who does not continuously and completely obey all the laws that Moses wrote.
LEB For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things that are written in the book of the law to do them.”[fn]
3:10 A quotation from Deut 27:26|link-href="None"
BBE For all who are of the works of the law are under a curse: because it is said in the Writings, A curse is on everyone who does not keep on doing all the things which are ordered in the book of the law.
Moff Whereas a curse rests on all who rely upon obedience to the Law; for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not hold by all that is written in the book of the law, to perform it.
Wymth All who are depending upon their own obedience to the Law are under a curse, for it is written, "Cursed is every one who does not remain faithful to all the precepts of the Law, and practise them."
ASV For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.
DRA For as many as are of the works of the law, are under a curse. For it is written: Cursed is every one, that abideth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them.
YLT for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed [is] every one who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Book of the Law — to do them,'
Drby For as many as are on the principle of works of law are under curse. For it is written, Cursed is every one who does not continue in all things which [are] written in the book of the law to do them;
RV For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one which continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.
(For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one which continueth/continues not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. )
SLT For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it has been written, Cursed every one who remains not in all written in the book of the law to do them.
Wbstr For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse: for it is written, Accursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
KJB-1769 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
(For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth/continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. )
KJB-1611 For as many as are of the works of the lawe, are vnder the curse: for it is written, Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)
Bshps For as many as are of the deedes of the lawe, are vnder the curse. For it is writte: Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the lawe, to do them.
(For as many as are of the deeds of the law, are under the curse. For it is writte: Cursed is every one that continueth/continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.)
Gnva For as many as are of the workes of the Lawe, are vnder the curse: for it is written, Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things, which are written in the booke of the Law, to doe them.
(For as many as are of the works of the Law, are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every man that continueth/continues not in all things, which are written in the book of the Law, to do them. )
Cvdl For as many as go aboute with the workes of the lawe, are vnder ye curse: For it is wrytte: Cursed be euery man, which cotynueth not in all thinges that are wrytte in the boke of the lawe, to do them.
(For as many as go about with the works of the law, are under ye/you_all curse: For it is written: Cursed be every man, which continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.)
TNT For as many as are vnder the dedes of the lawe are vnder malediccion. For it is written: cursed is every man that cotinueth not in all thinges which are writte in the boke of the lawe to fulfill them.
(For as many as are under the deeds of the law are under malediccion. For it is written: cursed is every man that continueth/continues not in all things which are writte in the book of the law to fulfil them. )
Wycl For alle that ben of the werkis of the lawe, ben vndur curse; for it is writun, Ech man is cursid, that abidith not in alle thingis that ben writun in the book of the lawe, to do tho thingis.
(For all that been of the works of the law, been under curse; for it is written, Each man is cursed, that abidith not in all things that been written in the book of the law, to do those things.)
Luth Denn die mit des Gesetzes Werken umgehen, die sind unter dem Fluch; denn es stehet geschrieben: Verflucht sei jedermann, der nicht bleibet in alledem, das geschrieben stehet in dem Buch des Gesetzes, daß er‘s tue!
(Because the with the law works evade/avoid, the are under to_him curse(n); because/than it stands written: Verflucht be anyone, the/of_the not stay/remain in alledem, the written stands in to_him book the law, that he's do/act!)
ClVg Quicumque enim ex operibus legis sunt, sub maledicto sunt. Scriptum est enim: Maledictus omnis qui non permanserit in omnibus quæ scripta sunt in libro legis ut faciat ea.[fn]
(Whoever because from works law are, under curse are. Scriptum it_is because: Cursed everyone who/which not/no permanserit in/into/on to_all which written are in/into/on book law as let_him_do them. )
3.10 Quicunque enim, etc. Hoc intelligendum est, non de operibus quæ ad mores pertinent, sed quæ in observationibus illis fiebant. Prodest lex in tabulis scripta: cætera onus sunt, quod probat auctoritate Scripturæ, dicens: Scriptum est. Qui ex operibus legis sunt, maledicti sunt, quia sicut scriptum est a Moyse in Deuteronomio Deut. 21.: Maledictus omnis homo, etc. Quasi: Multa præcepi quæ omnia nullus implere poterit: sed in onus data sunt, et ideo omnes maledicti. In quo innuit desiderandum esse Salvatorem, qui finem ponat his, et liberet non solum ab aliis peccatis, sed a maledicto legis. Cur ergo Galatæ transeunt a gratia ad maledictum?
3.10 Whoever because, etc. This to_be_understood it_is, not/no from/about works which to mores pertinent, but which in/into/on observationibus to_them were_made. Prodest the_law in/into/on boards written: the_rest burden/load are, that approves by_authority Scriptures, saying: Scriptum it_is. Who from works law are, cursed are, because like written it_is from Moyse in/into/on Deuteronomio Deut. 21.: Cursed everyone human, etc. Quasi: Many I_ordered which everything none to_fill will_be_able: but in/into/on burden/load data are, and therefore/for_that_reason everyone cursed. In where hints desiderandum to_be Salvatorem, who/which the_end put his, and freelyt not/no only away to_others sins, but from curse law. Cur therefore Galatæ they_pass from grace to cursetum?
UGNT ὅσοι γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσὶν ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσίν; γέγραπται γὰρ, ὅτι ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά.
(hosoi gar ex ergōn nomou eisin hupo kataran eisin; gegraptai gar, hoti epikataratos pas hos ouk emmenei pasin tois gegrammenois en tōi bibliōi tou nomou, tou poiaʸsai auta.)
SBL-GNT Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσὶν ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσίν, γέγραπται γὰρ ⸀ὅτι Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ⸀ἐμμένει πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά.
(Hosoi gar ex ergōn nomou eisin hupo kataran eisin, gegraptai gar ⸀hoti Epikataratos pas hos ouk ⸀emmenei pasin tois gegrammenois en tōi bibliōi tou nomou tou poiaʸsai auta.)
RP-GNT Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσίν, ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσίν· γέγραπται γάρ, Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά.
(Hosoi gar ex ergōn nomou eisin, hupo kataran eisin; gegraptai gar, Epikataratos pas hos ouk emmenei en pasin tois gegrammenois en tōi bibliōi tou nomou, tou poiaʸsai auta.)
TC-GNT Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσίν, ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσί· γέγραπται [fn]γάρ, Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει [fn]ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά.
(Hosoi gar ex ergōn nomou eisin, hupo kataran eisi; gegraptai gar, Epikataratos pas hos ouk emmenei en pasi tois gegrammenois en tōi bibliōi tou nomou, tou poiaʸsai auta. )
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).
3:10 Paul here quotes Deut 27:26, which summarized the curse that Israel would experience if they failed to keep all the stipulations of God’s covenant (see Deut 27:9-26; cp. Deut 28:15-68; 31:26; Josh 1:8; Mal 2:2; see also Gen 3:14-19; 4:10-12). It is impossible for sinful human beings to obey God’s will completely (see Rom 3:9-20).
In this section, Paul contrasted “doing” and “believing.” He began by rebuking the Galatians because they had forgotten something. They had forgotten that they had been made right with God (justified) and had received the Holy Spirit by believing. They should not then begin to do/obey the law to be made right with God.
Being made right with God (justification) has always been an issue of believing. Abraham himself was justified because he believed. People who are Abraham’s children are those who believe. They are the ones who are blessed. People who try to be made right with God by obeying the law are cursed, because no one can obey the entire law.
Paul wanted the Galatians to change their ways. He was convinced that if they thought about their actions and understood the truth, they would change.
Some other examples for a heading for this section are:
Justification by Law or by Faith? (NET)
Law or Faith
In this paragraph, Paul stated that people who want to be justified through obedience to the law are under a curse. But Christ freed us from the curse of the law by his death on the cross. People who have faith in Christ receive a blessing instead of a curse. It was God’s purpose that by faith the Gentiles would share in the blessing of Abraham and receive the Spirit.
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse.
¶ However, all people who follow the law are condemned,
¶ But everyone who tries to be justified through obeying the law will be judged.
¶ God will punish everyone who tries to follow the law of Moses in order to be made right with him.
In 3:8–9, Paul said that God will bless people who have faith. In 3:10, he gave the reason why it is necessary to rely on faith: a person who tries to rely on the law must keep the entire law or else be cursed. To show that he was giving a reason, Paul introduced this verse with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “for.” Most English versions translate it that way.
However, it is also possible to focus on the contrast between 3:8–9 and 3:10. There is a contrast between a blessing and a curse. There is also a contrast between people who have faith and people who follow the law.
Some ways to introduce the contrast are:
But (NLT)
However
On the other hand
The BSB has not translated this conjunction, and some other versions, such as the CEV and GNT, also do not translate it. In some languages, it will not be necessary to translate this conjunction either. Connect 3:10a to 3:9b in a way that is natural in your language.
All who rely on works of the law: The phrase works of the law refers to obeying the law (to be justified). (This same phrase occurs in 2:16a.) People who rely on works of the law are those who rely/depend on their obedience to the law for their justification. In other words, they think that when they obey the law, they will be put right with God.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
those who depend on following the law to make them right (NCV)
Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law (CEV)
Everyone who thinks that God will consider him right because he obeys the law of Moses
are under a curse: This phrase means “are condemned,” “will be judged,” or “will be punished.” God is the one who will judge and punish. A curse is the opposite of the blessing that God gives to the people who have faith.
In this context, a curse may be different than a curse in animistic societies. In many societies, a person puts a curse on someone when he does sorcery or witchcraft against another person. Often this is done even when the person has not done anything wrong. Here, it is God, not witchcraft or sorcery, who will judge and punish a person for the wrong that he actually has done.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
are condemned
are under God’s anger
will be punished by God
God will judge that person
For it is written:
because the Scripture says,
They will be judged because in God’s Holy Book it is written,
We know this because the Scriptures say,
For: The Greek word that the BSB translates as For introduces Paul’s basis/support for saying that the people in 3:10a are under a curse. They are under a curse (3:10a) because the Bible says that they are under a curse (3:10b).
Some other ways to introduce the reason are:
They are under a curse because
We know this because
In some languages, it will be more natural to put the reason first. For example:
10bIt is written, 10c“Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 10aSo all who rely on works of the law are under a curse.
it is written: This phrase introduces a quotation from the Old Testament. The quotation is from Deuteronomy 27:26.
Some other ways to introduce this quotation are:
here is what the Scripture says
in God’s Holy Book it is written
we read in the Scriptures that
Paul quoted this verse in order to prove that God will judge everyone who tries to be justified by keeping the law. God, through Moses, had warned his people that the result of not completely obeying the law is condemnation.
“Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
“All people who do not follow everything written in the law book are condemned.”
“Everyone who does not keep all the laws in the books that Moses wrote will be judged.”
“God will punish anyone who does not obey all the commandments that Moses wrote in the law books.”
Cursed is: This phrase is the verb form of the noun “curse” in 3:10a. It has the same meaning of “judge” or “punish.” It is God who will judge and punish.
In some languages, it is natural to put this phrase at the end of the sentence. For example:
Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God’s curse! (GNT)
everything written in the Book of the Law: The phrase the Law refers to the laws/commandments that God gave to Moses. Moses wrote these laws in the first five books of the Old Testament.
Some other ways to translate these phrases are:
all the laws in the books that Moses wrote
all the commands written in the law of God
(reordered) It is written, “God will punish anyone who does not obey all the commandments that Moses wrote in the law books.” So God will punish everyone who tries to follow the law of Moses in order to be made right with him.
ὅσοι γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσὶν
as_many_as (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅσοι Γάρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσίν ὑπό κατάραν εἰσίν γέγραπται γάρ ὅτι Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὅς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά)
Alternate translation: [All people who follow the law] or [All those who seek to be justified through obeying the law]
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὅσοι & ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσὶν
as_many_as & of ˓the˒_works ˱of˲_law (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅσοι Γάρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσίν ὑπό κατάραν εἰσίν γέγραπται γάρ ὅτι Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὅς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά)
Here, the phrase as many as are of works of the law is probably a shortened way of saying “as many as are relying on works of the law as the basis for God considering them to be righteous.” Here, the phrase as many as are of works of the law is describing people who rely on the works of the law and is in contrast to the phrase “the ones by faith” in [3:7](../03/07.md). If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: [as many as rely on the works of the law as the basis for being righteous before God] or [as many as are relying on works of the law as the basis for God considering them to be righteous] or [as many as are trusting that God will consider them righteous because they try to obey the law of Moses] or [as many as are seeking for God to consider them righteous on the basis of following what the Mosaic Law commands]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
ἐξ ἔργων νόμου
of ˓the˒_works ˱of˲_law
With the phrase of works, Paul is using the possessive form to describe the means by which a person seeks to please God, and by using the phrase of the law, Paul is using the possessive form to define the type of works to which he is referring to. If this is not clear in your language, you could clarify the relationship for your readers. Alternate translation: [trying to earn God’s approval by doing the works prescribed in the law]
Note 3 topic: grammar-collectivenouns
νόμου
˱of˲_law
See how you translated the phrase the law in [2:16](../02/016.md).
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
γέγραπται & γεγραμμένοις
˱it˲_˓has_been˒_written & ˓having_been˒_written
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language.
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσίν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅσοι Γάρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσίν ὑπό κατάραν εἰσίν γέγραπται γάρ ὅτι Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὅς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά)
Here, under a curse represents being cursed by God and refers to being condemned by God and therefore being doomed to eternal punishment. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: [are cursed by God]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσίν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅσοι Γάρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσίν ὑπό κατάραν εἰσίν γέγραπται γάρ ὅτι Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὅς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of curse, you could express the same idea with a verb such as “curse,” or you could express the meaning in some other way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [God will curse]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
γέγραπται
˱it˲_˓has_been˒_written
Here, Paul uses the phrase it is written to indicate that what follows is a quotation from the Old Testament. Paul assumes that his readers will understand this. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is referring to Scripture. Alternate translation: [it is written in the Scriptures]
Note 8 topic: grammar-collectivenouns
τοῦ νόμου
˱of˲_the law
See how you translated the phrase the Law in [2:16](../02/016.md). Alternate translation: [of God’s Laws]