< Galatians 4 >
1 But I say, that the heir, so long as he is a child, differeth not from a servant, although he is 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 he is under supervisors and stewards, until the time established by his father.
but he is under the control of guardians and trustees until the time his father has appointed.
3 So also we, while we were children, were in subordination under the elements 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 consummation of the time arrived, God sent forth his Son; and he was from a woman, and was under the law;
But, when the time was fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born subject to Law,
5 that he might redeem them that were under the law; and that we might receive the adoption of sons.
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 sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, who crieth, Father, our 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, ye are no longer servants, but sons; and if sons, then heirs of God; through Jesus the Messiah.
Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir also through God's own act.
8 For then, when ye knew not God, ye served them who in their 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, since ye have known God, or rather, have been known by God, ye turn yourselves again to the weak and beggarly elements, and wish again to be under them!
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 observe days and moons, and set times, and years!
You scrupulously observe days and months, special seasons, and years.
11 I am afraid, lest I have labored among you in vain.
I am alarmed about you, and am afraid that I have perhaps bestowed labour upon you to no purpose.
12 Be ye like me; because I have been like you.
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 My brethren, I beseech you. Ye have not injured me at all. For ye know, that under the infirmity of my flesh, I at first announced the gospel to you;
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 in my flesh, ye did not despise nor nauseate: but ye received me as an angel of God, and as Jesus the Messiah.
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 Where then is your blessedness? For I testify of you, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and have given them to 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 Have I become an enemy to you, by preaching to you the truth?
Can it be that I have become your enemy through speaking the truth to you?
17 They are zealous towards you, yet not for good; but they wish to shut you up, that ye may be zealous towards 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 And it is a good thing to be zealous at all times in good things; and not merely 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 Ye are my children, of whom I travail in birth again, till the Messiah 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 could wish to be now with you, and to change the tone of my voice; because I am astonished at you.
Would that I were with you and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
21 Tell me, ye who desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
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 sons, one by the bondmaid, and one by the 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 that was by the bond maid, was born after the flesh; and he that was by the free woman, was by the 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 And these are allegorical of the two covenants; the one from mount Sinai, which bringeth forth for bondage, is Hagar.
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 Hagar is the mount Sinai in Arabia, and correspondeth with the present Jerusalem, and is serving in bondage, she and 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 the Jerusalem above, is the free woman, who is the mother of us.
But the Jerusalem which is above is free, and she is our mother.
27 For it is written, Be joyful, thou barren, who bearest not: exult and shout, thou who hast not travailed: for more numerous are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman.
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 Now we, my brethren, like Isaac, are the children of the promise.
But you, brethren, like Isaac, are children born in fulfilment of a promise.
29 And as then, he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him who was born of the Spirit; so also is it now.
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 saith the scripture? Cast out the bondmaid, and her son; because the son of the bondmaid shall not inherit with the son 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 So then, my brethren, we are not sons of the bond-woman, but sons of the free woman.
Therefore, brethren, since we are not the children of a slave-girl, but of the free woman--