1 ¶ Now I say That the heir, as long as he is a child differs in nothing from a slave, though he be lord of all,

2 b ut is under the hand of tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

3 E ven so we, when we were children, were in slavery under the elements of the world,

4 b ut when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

5 t o redeem those that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 A nd because ye are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father;

7 t herefore, thou art no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

8 ¶ However then, when ye did not know God, ye did service unto those who by nature are not gods.

9 B ut now, having known God, or rather being known of God, how do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, in which ye desire again to be in slavery?

10 Y e observe days and months and times and years.

11 I am afraid for you, lest I have bestowed labour upon you in vain.

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

13 Y e know how through weakness of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

14 A nd my affliction which was in my flesh ye did not despise, nor reject but ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

15 W here is then the blessedness ye spoke 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 A m I, therefore, become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

17 ¶ They are zealous after you, but not for good; they would exclude you from us, that ye might be zealous after them.

18 I t is good to be always zealous to do good, and not only when I am present with you.

19 ¶ My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

20 I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice, for I stand in doubt of you.

21 ¶ Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, have ye not heard the law?

22 F or it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23 B ut he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, but he of the freewoman was born through the promise.

24 W hich things are an allegory; for these women are the two covenants: the one from the Mount Sinai, which begat unto slavery, which is Hagar.

25 F or this Hagar or Sinai is a mount in Arabia, which corresponds to the one that is now Jerusalem, which together with her children is in slavery.

26 B ut the Jerusalem of above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27 F or it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth into praise and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.

28 S o that we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29 B ut as then he that was born according to the flesh persecuted him that was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

30 N evertheless 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 then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.