Galatians 4
1 What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything.
Now as long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a servant, though he is to be lord of all:
2 He is subject to guardians and trustees until the date set by his father.
but is under guardians and managers till the time appointed by the father.
3 So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.
So we when we were children, were in servitude under the elements of the world:
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son born of a woman made under the law,
5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.
that He might redeem those that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.
So that thou art no longer a servant, but a son; and if a son, an heir also of God through Christ.
8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
But then indeed, when ye knew not God, ye served those which in reality are no gods.
9 But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
But now that ye know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that ye turn again to the poor weak elements, to which ye desire again to be in bondage as before?
10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years:
11 I fear for you, that my efforts for you may have been in vain.
so that I am afraid for you, least I have indeed bestowed upon you labour in vain.
12 I beg you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.
Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I also was as ye are: and ye have not injured me at all.
13 You know that it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.
But ye know that in the infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you at first:
14 And although my illness was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself.
and my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected me for it; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 What then has become of your blessing? For I can testify that, if it were possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
What then was your blessedness? for I bear you witness that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
And am I become your enemy for telling you the truth?
17 Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.
They are zealous for you, but not as they ought: for they would exclude us, that ye may be zealous for them:
18 Nevertheless, it is good to be zealous if it serves a noble purpose—at any time, and not only when I am with you.
But it is good to be zealously affected always in that which is good, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
My little children, of whom I do as it were travail in birth again,
20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you.
till Christ be formed in you, I should be glad to be present with you even now, and to change my voice; for I am in doubt about you.
21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?
Tell me, you that are so desirous to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
where it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by a servant, and one by a free-woman?
23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.
But he who was of the servant, was born according to the course of nature; whereas the son of the free-woman was by virtue of the promise.
24 These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar.
Which things are figurative; for these persons are emblems of the two covenants, the one from mount Sinai, bringing forth children unto bondage, which is Hagar: for this name Hagar,
25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
a rock, is expressive of mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to the present Jerusalem, which is in bondage with her children.
26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
But the Jerusalem above is represented by the free-woman, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
For it is written, Rejoice thou barren, that for a while didst not bear, break forth and cry aloud for joy, thou that didst not travail with child; for many more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath an husband."
28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
Now we, brethren, like Isaac, are children of the promise.
29 At that time, however, the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit. It is the same now.
But as then he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him who was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 But what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
But what saith the scripture? "Cast out the servant and her son: for the son of the servant shall not inherit with the son of the free-woman."
31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Now we, my brethren, are not children of the servant, but of the free-woman.
