Galatians 4
1 Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
To proceed, as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, though he is owner of all,
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Similarly, when we were children we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
But at just the right time God sent out His Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
so that He might redeem those under law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
And because you are sons, God sent out the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, calling, “Abba, Father”.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.
8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
But at one time indeed, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those that by nature are not gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
But now that you know God—better, are known by God—how can you turn back to those weak, yes decidedly inferior, basic principles, to which you wish to be enslaved all over again?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
You are observing days and months and seasons and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
I fear for you, lest somehow I have labored over you in vain.
12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I [am]; for I [am] as ye [are]: ye have not injured me at all.
Brothers, I plead with you, become as I am, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.
13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Rather, you know that I preached the Gospel to you the first time in spite of a physical infirmity.
14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, [even] as Christ Jesus.
Also, you did not despise or recoil at my physical trial, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if [it had been] possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
So what about your blessedness? Because I can testify that if it were possible you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 They zealously affect you, [but] not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
They zealously court you—not for good but intending to isolate you, so that you may seek them.
18 But [it is] good to be zealously affected always in [a] good [thing], and not only when I am present with you.
Now it is good to be zealous in a good thing at any time, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
My little children, for whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you
20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
—I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone; because I am perplexed about you!
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Tell me, you who desire to be under law, do you not heed that law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.
23 But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise.
However, the one by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, while the one by the free woman was through the promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
I will now allegorize them—these are two covenants: one is from Mount Sinai, bearing children into slavery, which is ‘Hagar’
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
(for this ‘Hagar’ is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present day Jerusalem, and is in slavery with her children);
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
while the ‘Jerusalem’ that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, [thou] barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
For it is written: “Rejoice, barren one, who does not give birth; break forth and shout, you who have no labor pains; because the abandoned woman has many more children than she who has the husband.”
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Now we, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, even so [it is] now.
But, it is the same now as it was then: the one born according to flesh persecutes the one born according to Spirit.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
However, what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, because the son of the slave woman absolutely must not inherit with the son of the free woman!”
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
So then, brothers, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.
