1 و َلَكِنِّي أقُولُ: ما دامَ الوارِثُ طِفلاً، فَهُوَ لا يَختَلِفُ عَنِ العَبْدِ، رَغْمَ أنَّهُ يَملِكُ كُلَّ شَيءٍ.

Now 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;

2 ف َهُوَ خاضِعٌ لِلأوصِياءِ وَالوُكَلاءِ، حَتَّى الوَقْتِ الَّذِي عَيَّنَهُ أبُوهُ.

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

3 و َهَكَذا نَحنُ أيضاً، عِندَما كُنّا أطفالاً، كُنّا عَبِيداً لِقَوانِينِ هَذا العالَمْ.

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

4 و َلَكِنْ عِندَما جاءَ الوَقْتُ المُناسِبُ، أرسَلَ اللهُ ابْنَهُ الَّذِي وُلِدَ مِنَ امْرأةٍ وَعاشَ خاضِعاً لِلشَّرِيعَةِ.

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

5 و َذَلِكَ لِكَي يُحَرِّرَ مَنْ هُمْ تَحتَ الشَّرِيعَةِ، فَنَصِيرَ أولاداً للهِ بِالتَّبَنِّي.

To 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.

6 و َلِأنَّكُمْ أولادُ اللهِ، أرسَلَ اللهُ رُوحَ ابْنِهِ إلَى قُلُوبِنا مُنادِياً: «بابا،» أي «أيُّها الآبُ.»

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

7 إ ذاً أنتَ لَسْتَ عَبْداً بَعْدَ الآنِ، وَلَكِنَّكَ ابْنٌ. وَلِأنَّكَ ابْنٌ، فَقَدْ جَعَلَكَ اللهُ وَارِثاً. مَحَبَّةُ بُولُسَ لِمُؤْمِنِي غَلاطِيَّة

Therefore, 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.

8 ف ِي الماضِي، عِندَما كُنْتُمْ لا تَعرِفُونَ اللهَ، كُنتُمْ عَبِيداً لِآلِهَةٍ مُزَيَّفَةٍ.

But 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.

9 أ مّا الآنَ فَأنتُمْ تَعرِفُونَ اللهَ الحَقيقيّ، أوْ بِالأصَحِّ، أصبَحْتُمْ مَعرُوفِينَ مِنَ اللهِ. فَكَيفَ تَعُودُونَ إلَى مِثلِ تِلْكَ المَبادِئِ الضَّعِيفَةِ وَعَدِيمَةِ الفائِدَةِ الَّتِي تُرِيدُونَ أنْ تُسْتَعْبَدوا لَها مُجَدَّداً؟

Now, 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?

10 ت َحتَفِلُونَ بِأيّامٍ وَشُهُورٍ وَمَواسِمَ وَسِنِينَ.

You observe days and months and seasons and years!

11 أ خافُ عَلَيكُمْ! أخافُ أنَّ تَعَبِي عَلَيكُمْ كانَ بِلا فائِدَةٍ!

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

12 أ تَوَسَّلُ إلَيكُمْ أيُّها الإخوَةُ أنْ تَكُونُوا مِثلِي، كَما أنِّي مِثلُكُمْ. أنتُمْ لَمْ تُسيئُوا إلَيَّ بِشَيءٍ.

Brethren, 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].

13 ع َلِمْتُمْ أنَّنِي كُنْتُ مَرِيضاً عِنْدَما زُرْتُكُمْ مُبَشِّراً فِي زِيارَتِي الأُولَى.

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

14 و َمَعْ أنَّ حالَتِي الصِّحِّيَّةَ كانَتْ مِحنَةً بِالنِّسْبَةِ لَكُمْ، إلّا أنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَحتَقِرُونِي أوْ تَرفُضُونِي، بَلْ قَبِلْتُمُونِي كَما لَو كُنْتُ مَلاكَ اللهِ، وَكَأنِّي المَسِيحُ يَسُوعَ!

And 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!

15 ف َأينَ ذَهَبَ مَدْحُكُمْ لِي؟ فَإنِّي أشهَدُ عَنْكُمْ بِأنَّكُمْ، لَو استَطَعْتُمْ، لَقَلَعْتُمْ عُيُونَكُمْ وَقَدَّمْتُمُوها لِي.

What 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.

16 ف َهَلْ صِرْتُ عَدُوّاً لَكُمْ لِأنِّي أخبَرْتُكُمْ بِالحَقِّ؟

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

17 إ نَّ الَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَكُمْ أنْ تَخضَعُوا لِلشَّرِيعَةِ مُتَحَمِّسُونَ لِهَدَفٍ سَيِّئٍ، وَهُوَ أنْ يَفصِلُوكُمْ عَنّا، حَتَّى تَتَحَمَّسُوا لَهُمْ.

These 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.

18 و َلَكِنْ مِنَ الجَيِّدِ لِلإنسانِ أنْ يَتَحَمَّسَ فِي الأُمُورِ الجَيِّدَةِ دائِماً، وَلَيسَ فَقَطْ عِندَما أكُونُ حاضِراً مَعَكُمْ.

It 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!

19 ي ا أولادِي، ها أنا أتَألَّمُ الآنَ لأجلِكُمْ ثانِيَةً، كَما تَتَألَّمُ المَرأةُ عِنْدَ الوِلادَةِ، إلَى أنْ تُصبِحُوا مُشابِهِينَ لِصُورَةِ المَسِيحِ.

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

20 أ وَدُّ لَو أنِّي مَعَكُمُ الآنَ لِأتَحَدَّثَ إلَيكُمْ بِطَرِيقَةٍ مُختَلِفَةٍ، لِأنَّنِي مُحتارٌ فِي كَيفيةِ التَّعامُلِ مَعَكُمْ. مَثَلُ هاجَرَ وَسارَة

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

21 أ خبِرُونِي أنتُمْ يا مَنْ تُرِيدُونَ أنْ تَكُونُوا تَحتَ الشَّرِيعَةِ، ألا تَسمَعُونَ ما تَقُولُهُ الشَّرِيعَةُ؟

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

22 ف َإنَّهُ مَكتُوبٌ أنَّ إبْراهِيمَ كانَ لَهُ ابْنانِ: واحِدٌ مِنَ الجارِيَةِ، وَالآخَرُ مِنَ الحُرَّةِ.

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

23 ف َالَّذِي أنجَبَتْهُ الجارِيَةُ وُلِدَ بِطَرِيقَةٍ طَبِيعِيَّةٍ، أمّا الَّذِي أنجَبَتْهُ الحُرَّةُ فَقَدْ وُلِدَ بِوَعْدٍ مِنَ اللهِ.

But 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.

24 و َلِذَلِكَ مَعنَىً رَمزِيٌّ. فَهاتانِ المَرأتانِ تَرمُزانِ إلَى عَهدَينِ: الأوَّلِ مِنْ جَبَلِ سِيناءَ، وَيَكُونُ المَولُودُ فِيهِ تَحتَ العُبُودِيَّةِ، وَهُوَ ما تُمَثِّلُهُ هاجَرُ.

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

25 و َهاجَرُ تُمَثِّلُ جَبَلَ سِيناءَ فِي أرْضِ العَرَبِ. وَهِيَ صُورَةٌ عَنِ القُدسِ الحالِيَّةِ، لِأنَّها تَحتَ عُبُودِيَّةِ الشَّرِيعَةِ هِيَ وَأولادَها.

Now 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.

26 أ مّا العَهدُ الثّانِي فَمِنَ القُدْسِ السَّماوِيَّةِ الحُرَّةِ، وَهِيَ أُمُّنا.

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

27 ك َما هُوَ مَكتُوبٌ: «افرَحِي أيَّتُها العاقِرُ الَّتِي لا تَلِدُ، اهتِفِي بِأعلَى صَوتِكِ يا مَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفِي آلامَ الوِلادَةِ. لِأنَّ أولادَ المَرأةِ المَهجُورَةِ سَيَكُونُونَ أكثَرَ عَدَداً مِنْ أولادِ المُتُزَوِّجَةِ.»

For 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.

28 و َالآنَ أيُّها الإخوَةُ، أنتُمْ أولادُ الوَعدِ كَإسْحَقَ.

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

29 و َلَكِنْ كَما كانَ فِي تِلْكَ الأيّامِ، فَإنَّ المَولُودَ بِطَرِيقَةٍ طَبِيعِيَّةٍ، أساءَ إلَى المَولُودِ بِحَسَبِ الرُّوحِ، وَهَذا ما يَحدُثُ الآنَ.

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

30 و َلَكِنْ ماذا يَقُولُ الكِتابُ؟ يَقُولُ: «اطْرُدِ الجارِيَةَ وَابْنَها بَعِيداً، لِأنَّ ابْنَ الجارِيَةِ لَنْ يَرِثَ مَعَ ابْنِ الحُرَّةِ.»

But 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.

31 ل ِهَذا أيُّها الإخوَةُ، نَحنُ لَسْنا أولادَ الجارِيَةِ، بَلْ أولادَ الحُرَّةِ.

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