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

But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;

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

but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.

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

So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world.

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

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,

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

that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.

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

And because you are children, God sent out 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.

So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then 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,

However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not 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?

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

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

You observe days, months, seasons, and years.

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

I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

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

I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,

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

but you know that because of weakness of the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.

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;

That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even 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;

What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

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

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

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

They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.

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

But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.

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

My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is 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.

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

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

Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?

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

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the 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;

However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through 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;

These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, 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,

For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.

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

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the 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.'

For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you that don’t travail. For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband.”

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

Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, 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;

But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is 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;'

However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”

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

So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.