Galatians 4

¹I mean that the heir , as long as he is a child , is no different from a slave , though he is the owner of everything ,

²but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father .

³In the same way we also , when we were children , were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world .

⁴But when the fullness of time had come , God sent forth his Son , born of woman , born under the law ,

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

⁶And because you are sons , God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts , crying , Abba ! Father !

⁷So you are no longer a slave , but a son , and if a son , then an heir through God .

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

⁹But now that you have come to know God , or rather to be known by God , how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world , whose slaves you want to be once more ?

¹⁰You observe days and months and seasons and years !

¹¹I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain .

¹²Brothers , I entreat you , become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong .

¹³You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first ,

¹⁴and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God , as Christ Jesus .

¹⁵What then has become of your blessedness ? For I testify to you that , if possible , you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me .

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

¹⁷They make much of you , but for no good purpose . They want to shut you out , that you may make much of them .

¹⁸It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose , and not only when I am present with you ,

¹⁹my little children , for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you !

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

²¹Tell me , you who desire to be under the law , do you not listen to the law ?

²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons , one by a slave woman and one by a free woman .

²³But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh , while the son of the free woman was born through promise .

²⁴Now this may be interpreted allegorically : these women are two covenants . One is from Mount Sinai , bearing children for slavery ; she is Hagar .

²⁵Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia ; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem , for she is in slavery with her children .

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

²⁷For it is written , Rejoice , O barren one who does not bear ; break forth and cry aloud , you who are not in labor ! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband .

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

²⁹But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit , so also it is now .

³⁰But what does the Scripture say ? Cast out the slave woman and her son , for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman .

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