Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.

这样说来，律法是为什么有的呢？原是为过犯添上的，等候那蒙应许的子孙来到，并且是藉天使经中保之手设立的。

这样说来，为什么要有律法呢？律法是为过犯的缘故而加上去的，等候那蒙应许的子孙来到才结束，是藉着天使经中保之手而设立的。

这样说来，为什么要有律法呢？律法是为过犯的缘故而加上去的，等候那蒙应许的子孙来到才结束，是藉着天使经中保之手而设立的。

那么，为什么会有律法呢？律法是为了使人知罪而颁布的，等那位承受应许的后裔来到后，律法的任务就完成了。律法是通过天使交给一位中间人颁布的。

那么，为什么要有律法呢？是为了过犯的缘故才加上的，直到那得应许的后裔来到。律法是藉着天使经中保的手设立的；

那么，为什么要有律法呢？律法是为了过犯的缘故被加上的，直到那蒙应许的后裔来临；律法是藉着天使，通过中保的手所规定的。

這樣說來，律法是為甚麼有的呢？原是為過犯添上的，等候那蒙應許的子孫來到，並且是藉天使經中保之手設立的。

這樣說來，為甚麼要有律法呢？律法是為過犯的緣故而加上去的，等候那蒙應許的子孫來到才結束，是藉着天使經中保之手而設立的。

這樣說來，為甚麼要有律法呢？律法是為過犯的緣故而加上去的，等候那蒙應許的子孫來到才結束，是藉着天使經中保之手而設立的。

那麼，為什麼會有律法呢？律法是為了使人知罪而頒佈的，等那位承受應許的後裔來到後，律法的任務就完成了。律法是通過天使交給一位中間人頒佈的。

那麼，為甚麼要有律法呢？是為了過犯的緣故才加上的，直到那得應許的後裔來到。律法是藉著天使經中保的手設立的；

那麼、律法怎麼樣呢？律法是為顯明犯法之事而增設的；是臨時的措施、等所應許的後裔來到的；是藉着天使經中間人之手規定的。

那麼，為什麼要有律法呢？律法是為了過犯的緣故被加上的，直到那蒙應許的後裔來臨；律法是藉著天使，通過中保的手所規定的。

然則律何為耶、乃為罪而設、待受許之裔至、又由天使於中保之手而訂、

然則律法何以、曰、律法為有罪者設、待所應許之裔至、且律法藉天使賜中保以傳、

然則律法何益、曰、為罪愆而設、待受應許之裔至焉、且律法傳授、藉天使、託中保之手、

然則律法何為而作乎？蓋人多為非作惡、乃有律法之添設、以俟承受嗣業者之來臨。且律法之制、乃由主之使者授之於居間人之手。

Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.

Then why was the law given at all? It was added because of human sin. And it was supposed to control us until the promised Seed had come. The law was given through angels, and a go- between was put in charge of it.

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.

Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people.

Why, then, was the law given? It was added for the sake of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator.

Why the Law then? It was added on account of the violations, having been ordered through angels at the hand of a mediator, until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator.

Wherefore then[ serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made;[ and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Then why is there the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

You received the law by decrees given by angels, but you did not obey it.”

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said,“ Do not covet.”But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires. For apart from the law, sin is dead.And I was once alive apart from the law, but with the coming of the commandment sin became aliveand I died. So I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life brought death!For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it I died.So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, so that it would be shown to be sin, produced death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say,“ and to the descendants,” referring to many, but“ and to your descendant,” referring to one, who is Christ.

Now the law came in so that the transgression may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more,so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty,

( I was standing between the LORD and you at that time to reveal to you the message of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said:

For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either.

For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous.

This is the man who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and he received living oracles to give to you.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But they no longer have any excuse for their sin.

But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately,realizing that law is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.

For he did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels.

He said: The Lord came from Sinai and revealed himself to Israel from Seir. He appeared in splendor from Mount Paran, and came forth with ten thousand holy ones. With his right hand he gave a fiery law to them.

Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given– because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ– to those who believe.Now before faith came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed.Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith.But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision?Actually, there are many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

He threatened to destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him and turned back his destructive anger.

But to Moses the LORD said,“ Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance.Moses alone may come near the LORD, but the others must not come near, nor may the people go up with him.”Moses came and told the people all the LORD’s words and all the decisions. All the people answered together,“ We are willing to do all the words that the LORD has said,”and Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early in the morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain and arranged twelve standing stones– according to the twelve tribes of Israel.He sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls for peace offerings to the LORD.Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and half of the blood he splashed on the altar.He took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people, and they said,“ We are willing to do and obey all that the LORD has spoken.”So Moses took the blood and splashed it on the people and said,“ This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up,and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear like the sky itself.But he did not lay a hand on the leaders of the Israelites, so they saw God, and they ate and they drank.The LORD said to Moses,“ Come up to me to the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments that I have written, so that you may teach them.”

“ Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me.But if you do not believe what Moses wrote, how will you believe my words?”

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you– from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to him.This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the LORD your God:“ Please do not make us hear the voice of the LORD our God any more or see this great fire any more lest we die.”The LORD then said to me,“ What they have said is good.I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command.I will personally hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet speaks in my name.

Now I mean that the heir, as long as he is a minor, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything.But he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.So also we, when we were minors, were enslaved under the basic forces of the world.But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

He replied to him,‘ If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

The LORD said these things to your entire assembly at the mountain from the middle of the fire, the cloud, and the darkness with a loud voice, and that was all he said. Then he inscribed the words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.Then, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness while the mountain was ablaze, all your tribal leaders and elders approached me.You said,“ The LORD our God has shown us his great glory and we have heard him speak from the middle of the fire. It is now clear to us that God can speak to human beings and they can keep on living.But now, why should we die, because this intense fire will consume us! If we keep hearing the voice of the LORD our God we will die!Who is there from the entire human race who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of the fire as we have, and has lived?You go near so that you can hear everything the LORD our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.”When the LORD heard you speaking to me, he said to me,“ I have heard what these people have said to you– they have spoken well.If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever.Go and tell them,‘ Return to your tents!’But as for you, remain here with me so I can declare to you all the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that you are to teach them, so that they can carry them out in the land I am about to give them.”Be careful, therefore, to do exactly what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn right or left!Walk just as he has commanded you so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land you are going to possess.

This is the law of the one with a discharge: the one who has a seminal emission and becomes unclean by it,

They said to Moses,“ You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.”Moses said to the people,“ Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you so that you do not sin.”The people kept their distance, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.The LORD said to Moses:“ Thus you will tell the Israelites:‘ You yourselves have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven.

The LORD said to Moses,“ Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.Now when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand– when he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to approach him.But Moses called to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and Moses spoke to them.After this all the Israelites approached, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.When Moses finished speaking with them, he would put a veil on his face.But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out. Then he would come out and tell the Israelites what he had been commanded.When the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with the LORD.

I lay flat on the ground before the LORD for forty days and nights, for he had said he would destroy you.I prayed to him: O, Lord GOD, do not destroy your people, your valued property that you have powerfully redeemed, whom you brought out of Egypt by your strength.Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; ignore the stubbornness, wickedness, and sin of these people.Otherwise the people of the land from which you brought us will say,“ The LORD was unable to bring them to the land he promised them, and because of his hatred for them he has brought them out to kill them in the desert.”They are your people, your valued property, whom you brought out with great strength and power.

Moreover, he said to me,“ I have taken note of these people; they are a stubborn lot!Stand aside and I will destroy them, obliterating their very name from memory, and I will make you into a stronger and more numerous nation than they are.”So I turned and went down the mountain while it was blazing with fire; the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.When I looked, you had indeed sinned against the LORD your God and had cast for yourselves a metal calf; you had quickly turned aside from the way he had commanded you!I grabbed the two tablets, threw them down, and shattered them before your very eyes.Then I again fell down before the LORD for forty days and nights; I ate and drank nothing because of all the sin you had committed, doing such evil before the LORD as to enrage him.For I was terrified at the LORD’s intense anger that threatened to destroy you. But he listened to me this time as well.The LORD was also angry enough at Aaron to kill him, but at that time I prayed for him too.

And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this whole law that I am about to share with you today?Again, however, pay very careful attention, lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren.

He proclaims his word to Jacob, his statutes and regulations to Israel.He has not done so with any other nation; they are not aware of his regulations. Praise the LORD!