Galatas 4
1 Dico autem: Quanto tempore heres parvulus est, nihil differt a servo, cum sit dominus omnium:
What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything.
2 sed sub tutoribus, et actoribus est usque ad praefinitum tempus a patre:
He is subject to guardians and trustees until the date set by his father.
3 ita et nos cum essemus parvuli, sub elementis mundi eramus servientes.
So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.
4 At ubi venit plenitudo temporis, misit Deus Filium suum factum ex muliere, factum sub lege,
But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 ut eos, qui sub lege erant, redimeret, ut adoptionem filiorum reciperemus.
to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.
6 Quoniam autem estis filii, misit Deus Spiritum filii Dei sui in corda vestra clamantem: Abba, Pater.
And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
7 Itaque iam non est servus, sed filius: Quod si filius: et heres per Deum.
So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.
8 Sed tunc quidem ignorantes Deum, iis, qui natura non sunt dii, serviebatis.
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
9 Nunc autem cum cognoveritis Deum, immo cogniti sitis a Deo: quomodo convertimini iterum ad infirma, et egena elementa, quibus denuo servire vultis?
But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
10 Dies observatis, et menses, et tempora, et annos.
You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
11 Timeo, ne forte sine causa laboraverim in vobis.
I fear for you, that my efforts for you may have been in vain.
12 Estote sicut ego, quia et ego sicut vos: fratres obsecro vos. Nihil me laesistis.
I beg you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.
13 Scitis autem quia per infirmitatem carnis evangelizavi vobis iampridem: et tentationem vestram in carne mea
You know that it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.
14 non sprevistis, neque respuistis: sed sicut Angelum Dei excepistis me, sicut Christum Iesum.
And although my illness was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself.
15 Ubi est ergo beatitudo vestra? Testimonium enim perhibeo vobis, quia, si fieri posset, oculos vestros eruissetis, et dedissetis mihi.
What then has become of your blessing? For I can testify that, if it were possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
16 Ergo inimicus vobis factus sum, verum dicens vobis?
Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 Aemulantur vos non bene: sed excludere vos volunt, ut illos aemulemini.
Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.
18 Bonum autem aemulamini in bono semper: et non tantum cum praesens sum apud vos.
Nevertheless, it is good to be zealous if it serves a noble purpose—at any time, and not only when I am with you.
19 Filioli mei, quos iterum parturio, donec formetur Christus in vobis.
My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
20 Vellem autem esse apud vos modo, et mutare vocem meam: quoniam confundor in vobis.
how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you.
21 Dicite mihi qui sub lege vultis esse: legem non legistis?
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?
22 Scriptum est enim: Quoniam Abraham duos filios habuit: unum de ancilla, et unum de libera.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
23 Sed qui de ancilla, secundum carnem natus est: qui autem de libera, per repromissionem:
His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.
24 quae sunt per allegoriam dicta. Haec enim sunt duo testamenta. Unum quidem in monte Sina, in servitutem generans: quae est Agar:
These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar.
25 Sina enim mons est in Arabia, qui coniunctus est ei, quae nunc est Ierusalem, et servit cum filiis suis.
Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
26 Illa autem, quae sursum est Ierusalem, libera est, quae est mater nostra.
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
27 Scriptum est enim: Laetare sterilis, quae non paris: erumpe, et clama, quae non parturis: quia multi filii desertae, magis quam eius, quae habet virum.
For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
28 Nos autem fratres secundum Isaac promissionis filii sumus.
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 Sed quomodo tunc is, qui secundum carnem natus fuerat, persequebatur eum, qui secundum spiritum: ita et nunc.
At that time, however, the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit. It is the same now.
30 Sed quid dicit Scriptura? Eiice ancillam, et filium eius: non heres erit filius ancillae cum filio liberae.
But what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
31 Itaque, fratres, non sumus ancillae filii, sed liberae: qua libertate Christus nos liberavit.
Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
