Galatians, 4

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;

1. But listen, as long as the heir of the host is a child, he has no advantage over the slaves, although he is the master of them all.

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

2. He is subject to those who care for him and who are entrusted with his affairs until the time set by his father comes.

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

3. In the same way we as children were first subjected to the created forces that govern the world.

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

4. But when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law,

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

5. in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we may be given our full rights of sons and daughters of God.

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

6. And because you are sons, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of his Son which cries out: Abba! that is, Father!

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

7. You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God's grace.

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

8. When you did not know God, you served those who are not gods.

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?

9. But now that you have known God - or rather he has known you - how can you turn back to weak and impoverished created things? Do you want to be enslaved again?

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

10. Will you again observe this and that day, and the new moon, and this period and that year...?

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

11. I fear I may have wasted my time with you.

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

12. I implore you, dearly beloved, do as I do, just as I became like you. You have not offended me in anything.

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

13. Remember that I was sick when I first announced the Gospel to you.

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.

14. Although I was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.

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.

15. Where is this bliss? For I can testify that you would have even plucked out your eyes to give them to me.

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

16. But now, have I become your enemy for telling you the truth?

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

17. Those who show consideration to you are not sincere; they want to separate you from me, so that you may show interest in them.

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

18. Would that you were surrounded with sincere care at all times, and not only from me when I am with you!

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

19. My children! I still suffer the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.

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

20. How I would like to be with you now and speak to you personally, for I do not know what to say for the best.

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

21. Tell me, you who desire to submit yourselves to the Law, did you listen to it?

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

22. It says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by the free woman, his wife.

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

23. The son of the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of God's promise.

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.

24. Here we have an allegory and the figures of two covenants. The first is the one from Mount Sinai, represented through Hagar: her children have slavery for their lot.

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

25. We know that Hagar was from Mount Sinai in Arabia: she stands for the present city of Jerusalem which is in slavery with her children.

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

26. But the Jerusalem above, who is our mother, is free.

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.

27. And Scripture says of her: Rejoice, barren woman without children, break forth in shouts of joy, you who do not know the pains of childbirth, for many shall be the children of the forsaken mother, more than of the married woman.

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

28. You, dearly beloved, are children of the promise, like Isaac.

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

29. But as at that time the child born according to the flesh persecuted Isaac, who was born according to the spirit, so is it now.

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.

30. And what does Scripture say? Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave cannot share the inheritance with the son of the free woman.

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

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