< Προς Γαλατας 4 >
1 Λέγω δέ, ἐφʼ ὅσον χρόνον ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου, κύριος πάντων ὤν,
But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all,
2 ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ ἐπιτρόπους ἐστὶν καὶ οἰκονόμους, ἄχρι τῆς προθεσμίας τοῦ πατρός.
but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.
3 Οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὅτε ἦμεν νήπιοι, ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου ἦμεν δεδουλωμένοι.
So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world.
4 Ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ ˚Θεὸς τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικός, γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον,
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,
5 ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ, ἵνα τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν.
that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as children.
6 Ὅτι δέ ἐστε υἱοί, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ ˚Θεὸς τὸ ˚Πνεῦμα τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν κρᾶζον, “Ἀββά, ὁ Πατήρ!”
And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”
7 Ὥστε οὐκέτι εἶ δοῦλος, ἀλλὰ υἱός· εἰ δὲ υἱός, καὶ κληρονόμος διὰ ˚Θεοῦ.
So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν οὐκ εἰδότες ˚Θεὸν, ἐδουλεύσατε τοῖς φύσει μὴ οὖσι θεοῖς·
However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.
9 νῦν δὲ γνόντες ˚Θεόν, μᾶλλον δὲ γνωσθέντες ὑπὸ ˚Θεοῦ, πῶς ἐπιστρέφετε πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα, οἷς πάλιν ἄνωθεν δουλεύειν θέλετε;
But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?
10 Ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθε, καὶ μῆνας, καὶ καιροὺς, καὶ ἐνιαυτούς.
You observe days, months, seasons, and years.
11 Φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς, μή πως εἰκῇ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς.
I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.
12 Γίνεσθε ὡς ἐγώ, ὅτι κἀγὼ ὡς ὑμεῖς, ἀδελφοί, δέομαι ὑμῶν. Οὐδέν με ἠδικήσατε·
I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,
13 οἴδατε δὲ ὅτι διʼ ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς, εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν τὸ πρότερον.
but you know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.
14 Καὶ τὸν πειρασμὸν ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, οὐκ ἐξουθενήσατε οὐδὲ ἐξεπτύσατε, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἄγγελον ˚Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθέ με, ὡς ˚Χριστὸν ˚Ἰησοῦν.
That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you did not despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Ποῦ οὖν ὁ μακαρισμὸς ὑμῶν; Μαρτυρῶ γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι εἰ δυνατὸν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν ἐξορύξαντες, ἐδώκατέ μοι.
What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.
16 Ὥστε ἐχθρὸς ὑμῶν γέγονα, ἀληθεύων ὑμῖν;
So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 Ζηλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς οὐ καλῶς, ἀλλὰ ἐκκλεῖσαι ὑμᾶς θέλουσιν, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ζηλοῦτε.
They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.
18 Καλὸν δὲ ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν καλῷ πάντοτε, καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐν τῷ παρεῖναί με πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.
19 Τέκνα μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω, μέχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ ˚Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν–
My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you—
20 ἤθελον δὲ παρεῖναι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἄρτι, καὶ ἀλλάξαι τὴν φωνήν μου, ὅτι ἀποροῦμαι ἐν ὑμῖν.
but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
21 Λέγετέ μοι, οἱ ὑπὸ νόμον θέλοντες εἶναι, τὸν νόμον οὐκ ἀκούετε;
Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do not you listen to the law?
22 Γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι Ἀβραὰμ δύο υἱοὺς ἔσχεν, ἕνα ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης, καὶ ἕνα ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman.
23 Ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης, κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται, ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας, διʼ ἐπαγγελίας.
However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.
24 Ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα, αὗται γάρ εἰσιν δύο διαθῆκαι: μία μὲν ἀπὸ Ὄρους Σινᾶ εἰς δουλείαν γεννῶσα, ἥτις ἐστὶν Ἁγάρ.
These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.
25 Τὸ δὲ Ἁγὰρ Σινᾶ Ὄρος ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ, συστοιχεῖ δὲ τῇ νῦν Ἰερουσαλήμ, δουλεύει γὰρ μετὰ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς.
For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.
26 Ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστίν, ἥτις ἐστὶν μήτηρ ἡμῶν.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 Γέγραπται γάρ, “Εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα, ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα, ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα, ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον, ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα.”
For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who do not bear. Break out and shout, you who do not travail. For the desolate women have more children than her who has a husband.”
28 Ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀδελφοί, κατὰ Ἰσαὰκ, ἐπαγγελίας τέκνα ἐστέ.
Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
29 Ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ τότε ὁ κατὰ σάρκα γεννηθεὶς, ἐδίωκε τὸν κατὰ ˚Πνεῦμα, οὕτως καὶ νῦν.
But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
30 Ἀλλὰ τί λέγει ἡ Γραφή; “Ἔκβαλε τὴν παιδίσκην καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς, οὐ γὰρ μὴ κληρονομήσει ὁ υἱὸς τῆς παιδίσκης, μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἐλευθέρας.”
However, what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”
31 Διό ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἐσμὲν παιδίσκης τέκνα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐλευθέρας.
So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.