Galatians 4

1 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.

1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

2 He is subject to guardians and trustees until the date set by his father.

2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

3 So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.

3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

4 But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.

7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

9 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?

9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

11 I fear for you, that my efforts for you may have been in vain.

11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

12 I beg you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.

12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

13 You know that it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.

13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

14 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.

14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

15 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.

15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

17 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.

17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

18 Nevertheless, it is good to be zealous if it serves a noble purpose—at any time, and not only when I am with you.

18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

19 My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you.

20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?

21 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 woman and the other by the free woman.

22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.

23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

24 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.

24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.

25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27 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.”

27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29 At that time, however, the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit. It is the same now.

29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

30 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.”

30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.