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;

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

But is under tutors and governors until the time 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.

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements 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 was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made 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.

To 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 hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your 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.

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

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 then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which 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, 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 Y ou observe days and months and seasons and years!

Ye observe days, and months, and times, 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 I have bestowed upon you labour 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].

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

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.

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

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

Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell 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 affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect 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 affected always in a good thing, 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 travail in birth again 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!

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of 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, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a 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.

But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by 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 are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

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.

For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and 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 Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

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 the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an 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 the 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, even so 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.

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

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