< Galatians 4 >

1 And I say, now as much time as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a servant, [though] being 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 stewards until the time appointed of the father,
but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.
3 so we also, when we were children, were in servitude under the elements of the world,
Similarly, when we were children we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.
4 and when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, come of a woman, come under law,
But at just the right time God sent out His Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5 that He may redeem those under law, that we may receive the adoption as sons;
so that He might redeem those under law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 and because you are sons, God 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 So that you are no longer a servant, but a son, and if a son, also 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 But then, indeed, having not known God, you were in servitude to those [that are] not by nature gods,
But at one time indeed, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those that by nature are not gods.
9 and now, having known God—and rather being known by God—how [do] you turn again to the weak and poor elements to which you desire anew to be in servitude?
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 You observe days, and months, and times, and years!
You are observing days and months and seasons and years.
11 I am afraid for you, lest I labored in vain for you.
I fear for you, lest somehow I have labored over you in vain.
12 I implore you, brothers, become as I [am]—because I also [am] as you; you did not hurt me;
Brothers, I plead with you, become as I am, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.
13 and you have known that through weakness of the flesh I proclaimed good news to 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 you did not despise nor reject my trial that [is] in my flesh, but you received me as a messenger of God—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 what then was your blessedness? For I testify to you, that if possible, having plucked out your eyes, you would 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 so have I become your enemy, being true to you?
Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 They are zealous for you—[yet] not well, but they wish to shut us out, that you may be zealous for them;
They zealously court you—not for good but intending to isolate you, so that you may seek them.
18 and [it is] good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being 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 may be formed in you,
My little children, for whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you
20 indeed I was wishing to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about you.
—I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone; because I am perplexed about you!
21 Tell me, you who are willing to be under law, do you not hear the Law?
Tell me, you who desire to be under law, do you not heed that law?
22 For it has been written that Abraham had two sons, one by the maidservant and one by the free [woman],
For it is written that Abraham had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.
23 but he who [is] of the maidservant has been according to flesh, but he who [is] of the free [woman], through the 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 allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from Mount Sinai, bringing forth to servitude, which is Hagar;
I will now allegorize them—these are two covenants: one is from Mount Sinai, bearing children into slavery, which is ‘Hagar’
25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the Jerusalem that now [is], and is in servitude 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 and the Jerusalem above is the free [woman], which is mother of us all,
while the ‘Jerusalem’ that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 for it has been written: “Rejoice, O barren, who is not bearing; break forth and cry, you who are not travailing, because many [are] the children of the desolate—more than of her having the 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 And we, brothers, as Isaac, are children of promise,
Now we, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 but as he then who was born according to the flesh persecuted him [born] according to the Spirit, so also 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 but what does the Writing say? “Cast forth the maidservant and her son, for the son of the maidservant may not be heir with the son of the free [woman]”;
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 then, brothers, we are not a maidservant’s children, but the free [woman’s].
So then, brothers, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.

< Galatians 4 >