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, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master 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 time appointed by 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 fullness of the time had come, 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.

to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as 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 you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “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.

Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Fears for the Church

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.

But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not 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 you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

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

You 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 for you, lest I have labored for 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].

Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You 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.

You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to 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 trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you 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.

What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own 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?

Have 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 court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for 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 zealous in a good thing always, 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, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is 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 would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you. Two Covenants

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

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you 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 bondwoman, 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 according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman 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 are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to 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.

for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds 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 the Jerusalem 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, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a 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 he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to 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 does the Scripture say? “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.