Προς Γαλατας 4
1 Λέγω δέ, ἐφ᾽ ὅσον χρόνον ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου, κύριος πάντων ὤν·
My point is this — As long as the heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a slave, though he is master of the whole estate.
2 ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ ἐπιτρόπους ἐστὶν καὶ οἰκονόμους ἄχρι τῆς προθεσμίας τοῦ πατρός.
He is subject to the control of guardians and stewards, during the period for which his father has power to appoint them.
3 οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς ὅτε ἦμεν νήπιοι, ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου ἦμεν δεδουλωμένοι·
And so is it with us; when we were under age, as it were, we were slaves to the puerile teaching of this world;
4 ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικός, γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον,
but, when the full time came, God sent his Son — born a woman’s child, born subject to Law —
5 ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ, ἵνα τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν.
To ransom those who were subject to Law, so that we might take our position as sons.
6 ὅτι δέ ἐστε υἱοί, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν, κρᾶζον, Ἀββᾶ ὁ πατήρ.
And it is because you are sons that God sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, with the cry — ‘Abba, our Father.’
7 ὥστε οὐκέτι εἶ δοῦλος, ἀλλὰ υἱός· εἰ δὲ υἱός, καὶ κληρονόμος διὰ θεοῦ.
You, therefore, are no longer a slave, but a son; and, if a son, then an heir also, by God’s appointment.
8 Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν οὐκ εἰδότες θεὸν ἐδουλεύσατε τοῖς φύσει μὴ οὖσιν θεοῖς·
Yet formerly, in your ignorance of God, you became slaves to ‘gods’ which were no gods.
9 νῦν δὲ γνόντες θεόν, μᾶλλον δὲ γνωσθέντες ὑπὸ θεοῦ, πῶς ἐπιστρέφετε πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα, οἷς πάλιν ἄνωθεν δουλεῦσαι θέλετε;
But now that you have found God — or, rather, have been found by him — how is it that you are turning back to that poor and feeble puerile teaching, to which yet once again you are wanting to become slaves?
10 ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθε καὶ μῆνας καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἐνιαυτούς.
You are scrupulous in keeping Days and Months and Seasons and Years!
11 φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς, μή πως εἰκῆ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς.
You make me fear that the labour which I have spent on you may have been wasted.
12 γίνεσθε ὡς ἐγώ, ὅτι κἀγὼ ὡς ὑμεῖς. ἀδελφοί, δέομαι ὑμῶν. οὐδέν με ἠδικήσατε.
I entreat you, Brothers, to become like me, as I became like you. You have never done me any wrong.
13 οἴδατε δὲ ὅτι δι᾽ ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν τὸ πρότερον,
You remember that it was owing to bodily infirmity that on the first occasion I told you the Good News.
14 καὶ τὸν πειρασμὸν ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου οὐκ ἐξουθενήσατε οὐδὲ ἐξεπτύσατε, ἀλλὰ ὡς ἄγγελον θεοῦ ἐδέξασθέ με, ὡς χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν.
And as for what must have tried you in my condition, it did not inspire you with scorn or disgust, but you welcomed me as if I had been an angel of God — or Christ Jesus himself!
15 ποῦ οὖν ὁ μακαρισμὸς ὑμῶν; μαρτυρῶ γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι, εἰ δυνατόν, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν ἐξορύξαντες ἐδώκατέ μοι.
What has become then, of your blessings? For I can bear witness that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me!
16 ὥστε ἐχθρὸς ὑμῶν γέγονα ἀληθεύων ὑμῖν;
Am I to think, then, that I have become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 ζηλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς οὐ καλῶς, ἀλλὰ ἐκκλεῖσαι ὑμᾶς θέλουσιν, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ζηλοῦτε.
Certain people are seeking your favour, but with no honourable object. No, indeed, they want to isolate you, so that you will have to seek their favour.
18 καλὸν δὲ ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν καλῷ πάντοτε, καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐν τῷ παρεῖναί με πρὸς ὑμᾶς,
It is always honourable to have your favour sought in an honourable cause, and not only when I am with you, my dear children —
19 τέκνα μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω, μέχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν·
You for whom I am again enduring a mother’s pains, till a likeness to Christ shall have been 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 with you now and speak in a different tone, for I am perplexed about you.
21 Λέγετέ μοι, οἱ ὑπὸ νόμον θέλοντες εἶναι, τὸν νόμον οὐκ ἀκούετε;
Tell me, you who want to be still subject to Law — Why do not you listen to the Law?
22 γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι Ἀβραὰμ δύο υἱοὺς ἔσχεν, ἕνα ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης καὶ ἕνα ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας.
Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one the child of the slave-woman and the other the child of the free woman.
23 ἀλλὰ ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται, ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας δι᾽ ἐπαγγελίας.
But the child of the slave-woman was born in the course of nature, while the child of the free woman was born in fulfilment of a promise.
24 ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα· αὗται γάρ εἰσιν δύο διαθῆκαι, μία μὲν ἀπὸ ὄρους Σινᾶ, εἰς δου λείαν γεννῶσα, ἥτις ἐστὶν Ἄγαρ.
This story may be taken as an allegory. The women stand for two Covenants. One Covenant, given from Mount Sinai, produces a race of slaves and is represented by Hagar
25 (τὸ γὰρ [Ἄγαρ] Σινᾶ ὄρος ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ), συστοιχεῖ δὲ τῇ νῦν Ἱερουσαλήμ, δουλεύει γὰρ μετὰ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς.
(The word Hagar meaning in Arabia Mount Sinai) and it ranks with the Jerusalem of to-day, for she and her children are in slavery.
26 ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστίν, ἥτις ἐστὶν μήτηρ ἡμῶν·
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she it is who is our mother.
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 Scripture says — ‘Rejoice, thou barren one, who dost never bear, Break into shouts, thou who art never in labour, For many are the children of her who is desolate — aye, more than of her who has a husband.’
28 ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀδελφοί, κατὰ Ἰσαὰκ ἐπαγγελίας τέκνα ἐστέ.
As for ourselves, brothers, we, like Isaac, are children born in fulfilment of a promise.
29 ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ τότε ὁ κατὰ σάρκα γεννηθεὶς ἐδίωκεν τὸν κατὰ πνεῦμα, οὕτως καὶ νῦν·
Yet at that time the child born in the course of nature persecuted the child born by the power of the Spirit; and it is the same 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.
But what does the passage of Scripture say? ‘Send away the slave-woman and her son; for the slave’s son shall not be co-heir with the son of the free woman.’
31 διό, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἐσμὲν παιδίσκης τέκνα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐλευθέρας·
And so, Brothers, we are not children of a slave, but of her who is free.
