Galatians 4
1 Then I say, that the heire as long as hee is a childe, differeth nothing from a seruant, though he be Lord of all,
Now I say that so long as an heir is a child, he in no respect differs from a slave, although he is the owner of everything,
2 But is vnder tutours and gouernours, vntil the time appointed of the Father.
but he is under the control of guardians and trustees until the time his father has appointed.
3 Euen so, we when wee were children, were in bondage vnder the rudiments of the world.
So we also, when spiritually we were children, were subject to the world's rudimentary notions, and were enslaved.
4 But when the fulnesse of time was come, God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman, and made vnder the Lawe,
But, when the time was fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born subject to Law,
5 That hee might redeeme them which were vnder the Law, that we might receiue the adoption of the sonnes.
in order to purchase the freedom of all who were subject to Law, so that we might receive recognition as sons.
6 And because ye are sonnes, God hath sent foorth the Spirit of his Sonne into your heartes, which crieth, Abba, Father.
And because you are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of His Son to enter your hearts and cry "Abba! our Father!"
7 Wherefore, thou art no more a seruant, but a sonne: now if thou be a sone, thou art also the heire of God through Christ.
Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir also through God's own act.
8 But euen then, when ye knewe not God, yee did seruice vnto them, which by nature are not gods:
But at one time, you Gentiles, having no knowledge of God, were slaves to gods which in reality do not exist.
9 But now seeing ye knowe God, yea, rather are knowen of God, howe turne ye againe vnto impotent and beggerly rudiments, whereunto as from the beginning ye wil be in bondage againe?
Now, however, having come to know God--or rather to be known by Him--how is it you are again turning back to weak and worthless rudimentary notions to which you are once more willing to be enslaved?
10 Ye obserue dayes, and moneths, and times and yeeres.
You scrupulously observe days and months, special seasons, and years.
11 I am in feare of you, lest I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine.
I am alarmed about you, and am afraid that I have perhaps bestowed labour upon you to no purpose.
12 Be ye as I (for I am euen as you) brethren, I beseech you: ye haue not hurt me at all.
Brethren, become as I am, I beseech you; for I have also become like you. In no respect did you behave badly to me.
13 And ye know, how through infirmitie of the flesh, I preached ye Gospel vnto you at the first.
And you know that in those early days it was on account of bodily infirmity that I proclaimed the Good News to you,
14 And the trial of me which was in my flesh, ye despised not, neither abhorred: but ye receiued me as an Angel of God, yea, as Christ Iesus.
and yet the bodily infirmity which was such a trial to you, you did not regard with contempt or loathing, but you received me as if I had been an angel of God or Christ Jesus Himself!
15 What was then your felicitie? for I beare you recorde, that if it had bene possible, ye would haue plucked out your owne eyes, and haue giuen them vnto me.
I ask you, then, what has become of your self-congratulations? For I bear you witness that had it been possible you would have torn out your own eyes and have given them to me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemie, because I tell you the trueth?
Can it be that I have become your enemy through speaking the truth to you?
17 They are ielous ouer you amisse: yea, they woulde exclude you, that ye shoulde altogether loue them.
These men pay court to you, but not with honourable motives. They want to exclude you, so that you may pay court to them.
18 But it is a good thing to loue earnestly alwayes in a good thing, and not onely when I am present with you,
It is always an honourable thing to be courted in an honourable cause; always, and not only when I am with you, my children--
19 My litle children, of whome I trauaile in birth againe, vntill Christ be formed in you.
you for whom I am again, as it were, undergoing the pains of childbirth, until Christ is fully formed within you.
20 And I would I were with you nowe, that I might change my voyce: for I am in doubt of you.
Would that I were with you and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
21 Tell me, ye that will be vnder the Law, doe ye not heare the Lawe?
Tell me--you who want to continue to be subject to Law--will you not listen to the Law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sonnes, one by a seruant, and one by a free woman.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-girl and one by the free woman.
23 But he which was of the seruant, was borne after the flesh: and he which was of the free woman, was borne by promise.
But we see that the child of the slave-girl was born in the common course of nature; but the child of the free woman in fulfilment of the promise.
24 By the which things another thing is meant: for these mothers are the two testaments, the one which is Agar of mount Sina, which gendreth vnto bondage.
All this is allegorical; for the women represent two Covenants. One has its origin on Mount Sinai, and bears children destined for slavery.
25 (For Agar or Sina is a mountaine in Arabia, and it answereth to Hierusalem which nowe is) and she is in bondage with her children.
This is Hagar; for the name Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, which is in bondage together with her children.
26 But Hierusalem, which is aboue, is free: which is the mother of vs all.
But the Jerusalem which is above is free, and she is our mother.
27 For it is written, Reioyce thou barren that bearest no children: breake forth, and cry, thou that trauailest not: for the desolate hath many moe children, then she which hath an husband.
For it is written, "Rejoice, thou barren woman that bearest not, break forth into a joyful cry, thou that dost not travail with child. For the desolate woman has many children--more indeed than she who has the husband."
28 Therefore, brethren, wee are after the maner of Isaac, children of the promise.
But you, brethren, like Isaac, are children born in fulfilment of a promise.
29 But as then hee that was borne after the flesh, persecuted him that was borne after the Spirit, euen so it is nowe.
Yet just as, at that time, the child born in the common course of nature persecuted the one whose birth was due to the power of the Spirit, so it is now.
30 But what sayth the Scripture? Put out the seruant and her sonne: for the sonne of the seruant shall not be heire with the sonne of the free woman.
But what says the Scripture? "Send away the slave-girl and her son, for never shall the slave-girl's son share the inheritance with the son of the free woman."
31 Then brethren, we are not children of the seruant, but of the free woman.
Therefore, brethren, since we are not the children of a slave-girl, but of the free woman--
