1 A nd I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differeth nothing from a servant -- being lord of all,

2 b ut is under tutors and stewards till the time appointed of the father,

3 s o also we, when we were babes, under the elements of the world were in servitude,

4 a nd when the fulness of time did come, God sent forth His Son, come of a woman, come under law,

5 t hat those under law he may redeem, that the adoption of sons we may receive;

6 a nd because ye are sons, God did send forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, `Abba, Father!'

7 s o that thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.

8 B ut then, indeed, not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods,

9 a nd now, having known God -- and rather being known by God -- how turn ye again unto the weak and poor elements to which anew ye desire to be in servitude?

10 d ays ye observe, and months, and times, and years!

11 I am afraid of you, lest in vain I did labour toward you.

12 B ecome as I -- because I also as ye brethren, I beseech you; to me ye did no hurt,

13 a nd ye have known that through infirmity of the flesh I did proclaim good news to you at the first,

14 a nd my trial that in my flesh ye did not despise nor reject, but as a messenger of God ye did receive me -- as Christ Jesus;

15 w hat then was your happiness? for I testify to you, that if possible, your eyes having plucked out, ye would have given to me;

16 s o that your enemy have I become, being true to you?

17 t hey are zealous for you -- not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may be zealous;

18 a nd good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you;

19 m y little children, of whom again I travail in birth, till Christ may be formed in you,

20 a nd I was wishing to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about you.

21 T ell me, ye who are willing to be under law, the law do ye not hear?

22 f or it hath been written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the maid-servant, and one by the free-woman,

23 b ut he who of the maid-servant, according to flesh hath been, and he who of the free-woman, through the promise;

24 w hich things are allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from mount Sinai, to servitude bringing forth, which is Hagar;

25 f or this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and doth correspond to the Jerusalem that now, and is in servitude with her children,

26 a nd the Jerusalem above is the free-woman, which is mother of us all,

27 f or it hath been written, `Rejoice, O barren, who art not bearing; break forth and cry, thou who art not travailing, because many the children of the desolate -- more than of her having the husband.'

28 A nd we, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise,

29 b ut as then he who was born according to the flesh did persecute him according to the spirit, so also now;

30 b ut what saith the Writing? `Cast forth the maid-servant and her son, for the son of the maid-servant may not be heir with the son of the free-woman;'

31 t hen, brethren, we are not a maid-servant's children, but the free-woman's.