1 L et me say this another way. A young child who will get all the riches of his family is not different from a servant who is owned by the family. And yet the young child owns everything.

Тож кажу я: поки спадкоємець дитина, він нічим від раба не різниться, хоч він пан над усім,

2 W hile he is young, he is cared for by men his father trusts. These men tell the child what he can and cannot do. The child cannot do what he wants to do until he has become a certain age.

але під опікунами та керівниками знаходиться він аж до часу, що визначив батько.

3 W e were as children also held by the Law. We obeyed the Law in our religious worship.

Так і ми, поки дітьми були, то були поневолені стихіями світу.

4 B ut at the right time, God sent His Son. A woman gave birth to Him under the Law.

Як настало ж виповнення часу, Бог послав Свого Сина, що родився від жони, та став під Законом,

5 T his all happened so He could buy with His blood and make free all those who were held by the Law. Then we might become the sons of God.

щоб викупити підзаконних, щоб усиновлення ми прийняли.

6 B ecause you are the sons of God, He has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. The Spirit cries, “Father!”

А що ви сини, Бог послав у ваші серця Духа Сина Свого, що викликує: Авва, Отче!

7 S o now you are no longer a servant who is owned by someone. You are a son. If you are a son, then you will receive what God has promised through Christ.

Тому ти вже не раб, але син. А як син, то й спадкоємець Божий через Христа.

8 D uring the time when you did not know God, you worshiped false gods.

Та тоді, не знаючи Бога, служили ви тим, що з істоти богами вони не були.

9 B ut now that you know God, or should I say that you are known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak old Law? Why do you want to do those religious acts of worship that will keep you from being free? Why do you want to be held under the power of the Law again?

А тепер, як пізнали ви Бога, чи краще як Бог вас пізнав, як вертаєтесь знов до слабих та вбогих стихій, яким хочете знов, як давніше, служити?

10 Y ou do special things on certain days and months and years and times of the year.

Ви вважаєте пильно на дні та на місяці, і на пори та роки.

11 I am afraid my work with you was wasted. Living by the Law or Being Free

Я боюся за вас, чи не дармо я працював коло вас?...

12 I ask you, Christian brothers, stay free from the Law as I am. Even if I am a Jew, I became free from the Law, just as you who are not Jews. You did no wrong to me.

Прошу я вас, браття, будьте, як я, бо й я такий самий, як ви. Нічим ви мене не покривдили!

13 Y ou know I preached the Good News to you the first time because of my sickness.

І знаєте ви, що в немочі тіла я перше звіщав вам Євангелію,

14 E ven though I was hard to look at because of my sickness, you did not turn away from me. You took me in as an angel from God. You took me in as you would have taken in Christ Jesus Himself.

ви ж моєю спокусою в тілі моїм не погордували, і мене не відкинули, але, немов Ангола Божого, ви прийняли мене, як Христа Ісуса!

15 W hat has become of the happiness you once had? You would have taken out your own eyes if you could have and given them to me.

Тож де ваше тодішнє блаженство? Свідкую бо вам, що якби було можна, то ви вибрали б очі свої та мені віддали б!

16 D o you hate me because I have told you the truth?

Чи ж я став для вас ворогом, правду говорячи вам?

17 T hose false teachers are trying to turn your eyes toward them. They do not want you to follow my teaching. What they are doing is not good.

Недобре пильнують про вас, але вас відлучити хочуть, щоб ви пильнували про них.

18 I t is good when people help you if they do not hope to get something from it. They should help you all the time, not only when I am with you.

То добре, пильнувати про добре постійно, а не тільки тоді, як приходжу до вас.

19 M y children, I am suffering birth pain for you again. I will suffer until Christ’s life is in your life.

Дітки мої, я знову для вас терплю муки породу, поки образ Христа не відіб'ється в вас!

20 I wish I could be with you now. I wish I could speak to you in a more gentle voice, but I am troubled about you.

Я хотів би тепер бути в вас та змінити свій голос, бо маю я сумнів за вас.

21 L isten! If you want to be under the Law, why do you not listen to what it says?

Скажіть мені ви, що хочете бути під Законом: чи не слухаєтесь ви Закону?

22 T he Holy Writings say that Abraham had two sons. One was born from a woman servant (Hagar) who was owned by someone. She had to do what she was told. The other son was born from a woman (Sarah) who was free to work and live as she desired.

Бо написано: Мав Авраам двох синів, одного від рабині, а другого від вільної.

23 T he son born from the woman servant who was owned by someone was like any other birth. The son born from the free woman was different. That son had been promised by God.

Але той, хто був від рабині, народився за тілом, а хто був від вільної, за обітницею.

24 T hink of it like this: These two women show God’s two ways of working with His people. The children born from Hagar are under the Law given on Mount Sinai. They will be servants who are owned by someone and will always be told what to do!

Розуміти це треба інакше, бо це два заповіти: один від гори Сінай, що в рабство народжує, а він то Аґар.

25 H agar is known as Mount Sinai in the country of Arabia. She is as Jerusalem is today, because she and her children are not free to do what they want to do.

Бо Аґар то гора Сінай в Арабії, а відповідає сучасному Єрусалимові, який у рабстві з своїми дітьми.

26 B ut the Jerusalem of heaven is the free woman, and she is our mother.

А вишній Єрусалим вільний, він мати всім нам!

27 T he Holy Writings say, “Woman, be happy, you who have had no children. Cry for joy, you who have never had the pains of having a child, for you will have many children. Yes, you will have more children than the one who has a husband.”

Бо написано: Звеселися, неплідна, ти, що не родиш! Гукай та викликуй ти, що в породі не мучилась, бо в полишеної значно більше дітей, ніж у тієї, що має вона чоловіка!

28 C hristian brothers, we are like Isaac. We are the children God promised.

А ви, браття, діти обітниці за Ісаком!

29 A t that time the son born as other children are born made it hard for the son born by the Holy Spirit. It is the same way now.

Але як і тоді, хто родився за тілом, переслідував тих, хто родився за духом, так само й тепер.

30 B ut what do the Holy Writings say? They say, “Put the woman servant who is owned by someone and her son out of your home. The son of that woman servant will never get any of the riches of the family. It will all be given to the son of the free woman.”

Та що каже Писання? Прожени рабиню й сина її, бо не буде спадкувати син рабині разом із сином вільної.

31 C hristian brothers, we are not children of the woman servant who was owned by someone (Hagar). We are children of the free woman (Sarah).

Тому, браття, не сини ми рабині, але вільної!