1 N ow 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,

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

but is under the hand of tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

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

Even so we, when we were children, were in slavery under the elements of the world,

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

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

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

to redeem those that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 B ecause you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “ Abba! Father!”

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

7 T herefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

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

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

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

9 B ut 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?

But 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 ou observe days and months and seasons and years.

Ye observe days and months and times and years.

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

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

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

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

13 b ut you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time;

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

14 a nd 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.

And 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 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.

Where 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 S o have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

Am I, therefore, become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

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

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

18 B ut it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you.

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

19 M y children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—

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

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

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

¶ 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, one by the bondwoman 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 the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.

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

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

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

For 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 above is free; she is our mother.

But the Jerusalem of above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27 F or 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.”

For 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 A nd you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.

So that we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29 B ut 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.

But 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 B ut 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.”

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

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