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

Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,

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

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

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

So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.

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

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

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

so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

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

Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “ Abba! 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, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

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

However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.

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؟

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

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 fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.

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

I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;

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

but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I 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 that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

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

Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

16 ف َهَلْ صِرْتُ عَدُوّاً لَكُمْ لِأنِّي أخبَرْتُكُمْ بِالحَقِّ؟

So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

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

They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

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

But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only 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 children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—

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

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

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

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

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 bondwoman and one by the free woman.

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

But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through 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.

This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.

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

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

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

But the Jerusalem above is free; 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, “ Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear; Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; For more numerous are the children of the desolate Than of the one who has a husband.”

28 و َالآنَ أيُّها الإخوَةُ، أنتُمْ أولادُ الوَعدِ كَإسْحَقَ.

And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.

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

But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born 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 the bondwoman and her son, For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

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

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