Galatians 4

¹Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth in no respect from a bond-servant, though he is lord of all;

²but is under guardians and stewards, until the time appointed by the father.

³So also we, when we were children, were in bondage under the rudiments of the world;

⁴but when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

⁵to redeem those under the Law, that we might be adopted as sons.

⁶And to show that ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father!

⁷So then thou art no longer a bond-servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

⁸But at that time, indeed, when ye knew not God, ye were in slavery to those who in their nature are not gods;

⁹but now, after having known God, or rather having been known by God, how is it that ye are turning back to the weak and beggarly rudiments to which ye wish to be again in bondage?

¹⁰Do ye observe days, and months, and times, and years?

¹¹I fear for you, lest I may have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

¹²Brethren, I beseech you, become as I am, for I also have become as ye are; ye injured me in nothing.

¹³Nay, ye know that it was on account of an infirmity of the flesh that I preached the gospel to you the former time,

¹⁴and my trial which was in my flesh ye did not despise nor spurn; but received me as an angel of God, yea, as Christ Jesus.

¹⁵How great then was your boasting of happiness! for I bear you witness, that if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and have given them to me.

¹⁶So then, have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷They show a zeal for you, but not in honesty; yea, they wish to exclude you, that ye may be zealous for them.

¹⁸But it is good to be an object of zeal in what is good always, and not only when I am present with you.

¹⁹My children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you,—

²⁰I could wish indeed to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am in perplexity about you.

²¹Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law, do ye not hear the Law?

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

²³But the one by the bondwoman was born after the flesh; while the one by the freewoman was through the promise.

²⁴Which things are written allegorically; for these women are two covenants; the one from Mount Sinai, who beareth children into bondage, which is Hagar;

²⁵for the word Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; and she corresponds to the Jerusalem now existing, for she is in bondage with her children;

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

²⁷For it is written: "Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for many are the children of the desolate one, rather than of her who hath the husband."

²⁸But ye, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of a promise.

²⁹But as at that time he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born through the Spirit, so it is now.

³⁰But 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."

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

Galatians 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

⁹But 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?

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁵Where 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.

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

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

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

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

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

²¹Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

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

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

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

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

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

²⁷For 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.

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

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

³⁰Nevertheless 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.

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