1 N ow what I mean is that as long as the inheritor (heir) is a child and under age, he does not differ from a slave, although he is the master of all the estate;

But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all;

2 B ut he is under guardians and administrators or trustees until the date fixed by his father.

but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father.

3 S o we also, when we were minors, were kept like slaves under the elementary teachings of a system of external observations and regulations.

So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world:

4 B ut when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to the Law,

but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

5 T o purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us.

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

6 A nd because you are sons, God has sent the '> Holy] Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba (Father)! Father!

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

7 T herefore, you are no longer a slave (bond servant) but a son; and if a son, then an heir by the aid of God, through Christ.

So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

8 B ut at that previous time, when you had not come to be acquainted with and understand and know the true God, you were in bondage to gods who by their very nature could not be gods at all.

Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods:

9 N ow, however, that you have come to be acquainted with and understand and know God, or rather to be understood and known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly and worthless elementary things '> of all religions before Christ came], whose slaves you once more want to become?

but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again?

10 Y ou observe days and months and seasons and years!

Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years.

11 I am alarmed, lest I have labored among and over you to no purpose and in vain.

I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain.

12 B rethren, I beg of you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are '> a Gentile]. You did me no wrong '> in the days when I first came to you; do not do it now].

I beseech you, brethren, become as I am, for I also am become as ye are. Ye did me no wrong:

13 O n the contrary, you know that it was on account of a bodily ailment that preached the Gospel to you the first time.

but ye know that because of an infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you the first time:

14 A nd although my physical condition was a trial to you, you did not regard it with contempt, or scorn and loathe and reject me; but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus!

and that which was a temptation to you in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

15 W hat has become of that blessed enjoyment and satisfaction and self-congratulation that once was yours ? For I bear you witness that you would have torn out your own eyes and have given them to me, if that were possible.

Where then is that gratulation of yourselves? for I bear you witness, that, if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

16 H ave I then become your enemy by telling the truth to you and dealing sincerely with you?

So then am I become your enemy, by telling you the truth?

17 T hese men are zealously trying to dazzle you, but their purpose is not honorable or worthy or for any good. What they want to do is to isolate you, so that they may win you over to their side and get you to court their favor.

They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them.

18 I t is always a fine thing to be zealously sought after for a good purpose and done by reason of purity of heart and life, and not just when I am present with you!

But it is good to be zealously sought in a good matter at all times, and not only when I am present with you.

19 M y little children, for whom I am again suffering birth pangs until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you,

My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you--

20 W ould that I were with you now and could coax you vocally, for I am fearful and perplexed about you!

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

21 T ell me, you who are bent on being under the Law, will you listen to what the Law says?

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

22 F or it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondmaid and one by the free woman.

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman.

23 B ut whereas the child of the slave woman was born according to the flesh and had an ordinary birth, the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of the promise.

Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise.

24 N ow all this is an allegory; these represent two covenants. One covenant originated from Mount Sinai and bears for slavery; this is Hagar.

Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar.

25 N ow Hagar is (stands for) Mount Sinai in Arabia and she corresponds to and belongs in the same category with the present Jerusalem, for she is in bondage together with her children.

Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children.

26 B ut the Jerusalem above ( the Messianic kingdom of Christ) is free, and she is our mother.

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother.

27 F or it is written in the Scriptures, Rejoice, O barren woman, who has not given birth to children; break forth into a joyful shout, you who are not feeling birth pangs, for the desolate woman has many more children than she who has a husband.

For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: For more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband.

28 B ut we, brethren, are children '> not by physical descent, as was Ishmael, but] like Isaac, born in virtue of promise.

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

29 Y et as at that time the child born according to the flesh despised and persecuted him according to the Spirit, so it is now also.

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

30 B ut what does the Scripture say? Cast out and send away the slave woman and her son, for never shall the son of the slave woman be heir and share the inheritance with the son of the free woman.

Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman.

31 S o, brethren, we are not children of a slave woman '> the natural], but of the free '> the supernatural].

Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman.