Galatians 4
1 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,
NOW I affirm, that as long as the heir is an infant, he differeth nothing from a servant, though he be master of all;
2 but he is under the control of guardians and trustees until the time his father has appointed.
but is under tutors and trustees until the time fixed by his father.
3 So we also, when spiritually we were children, were subject to the world's rudimentary notions, and were enslaved.
So we also, when we were infants, were in bondage under the first elementary principles of the world:
4 But, when the time was fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born subject to Law,
but when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law,
5 in order to purchase the freedom of all who were subject to Law, so that we might receive recognition as sons.
that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of His Son to enter your hearts and cry "Abba! our Father!"
But because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father!
7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir also through God's own act.
Therefore thou art no more a slave, but a son, and if a son, an heir also of God through Christ.
8 But at one time, you Gentiles, having no knowledge of God, were slaves to gods which in reality do not exist.
But at that time when ye knew not God, ye served those who by nature are not gods.
9 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?
But now after having known God, or rather being known of God, how turn ye back again to those weak and beggarly elements, to which again a second time ye desire to be in bondage?
10 You scrupulously observe days and months, special seasons, and years.
Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am alarmed about you, and am afraid that I have perhaps bestowed labour upon you to no purpose.
I am afraid for you, lest haply I have bestowed on you labour in vain.
12 Brethren, become as I am, I beseech you; for I have also become like you. In no respect did you behave badly to me.
Be as I am, for I also am as ye are, brethren―this is my request to you: ye have not injured me in the least.
13 And you know that in those early days it was on account of bodily infirmity that I proclaimed the Good News to you,
Ye know that with infirmity of flesh I preached to you the gospel at the first.
14 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!
And my temptation, which was in my flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected with disgust; but as an angel of God ye received me, even as Christ Jesus himself.
15 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.
What then was your blessedness, for I bear witness to you that, if it were possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and given them to me.
16 Can it be that I have become your enemy through speaking the truth to you?
Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17 These men pay court to you, but not with honourable motives. They want to exclude you, so that you may pay court to them.
They affect zeal for you, not honourably; but they wish to exclude us, that you may be zealously attached to them.
18 It is always an honourable thing to be courted in an honourable cause; always, and not only when I am with you, my children--
It is good indeed to be zealously affected in a good cause always, and not only when I am present with you.
19 you for whom I am again, as it were, undergoing the pains of childbirth, until Christ is fully formed within you.
My little children of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you,
20 Would that I were with you and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
I wish I could be with you now, and change my address; for I am in doubt about you.
21 Tell me--you who want to continue to be subject to Law--will you not listen to the Law?
Tell me, ye that desire 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-girl and one by the free woman.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondwoman, and the other by a free.
23 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.
Now the son of the bond-maid was born after the flesh, but that by the free woman was by promise.
24 All this is allegorical; for the women represent two Covenants. One has its origin on Mount Sinai, and bears children destined for slavery.
Which things are allegorical; for these are the two covenants, the one from mount Sinai, gendering unto bondage, which is represented by Agar.
25 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.
For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds with Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But the Jerusalem which is above is free, and she is our mother.
But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 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."
For it is written, “Rejoice, thou barren who bearest not, cry out and shout for joy, thou that travailest not, for more are the children of her that was desolate, than of her which had an husband.”
28 But you, brethren, like Isaac, are children born in fulfilment of a promise.
So we, brethren, as Isaac, are the children of the promise.
29 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.
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so is it now.
30 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."
But what saith the scripture? “Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-maid shall in no wise inherit with the son of the free woman.”
31 Therefore, brethren, since we are not the children of a slave-girl, but of the free woman--
So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
