Galatians 4

Modern

Literal

Sons and Heirs

¹What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything.

¹Now I say, for as long a time as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a slave, though being lord of all.

²He is subject to guardians and trustees until the date set by his father.

²But he is under guardians and managers until the appointed time of the father.

³So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles^a of the world.

³So also we, when we were children, were enslaved under the elements of the world.

⁴But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

⁴But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, having been born of a woman, having been born under the law,

⁵to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

⁵that He might redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

⁶And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

⁶And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.

⁷So you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, also an heir through God.

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

⁸Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

⁸But then, indeed, not knowing God, you were in slavery to those by nature not being gods.

⁹But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

⁹But now, having known God, but rather having been known by God, how do you turn again to the weak and poor elements, to which you want to be in slavery again anew?

¹⁰You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

¹⁰You observe days and months and seasons and years!

¹¹I fear for you, that my efforts for you may have been in vain.

¹¹I fear for you, lest somehow I have toiled for you in vain.

¹²I beg you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.

¹²I implore you, brothers, become as I am, because I also am as you. You wronged me in nothing.

¹³You know that it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.

¹³Now you know that in weakness of the flesh I preached the gospel to you the first time.

¹⁴And although my illness was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself.

¹⁴And the test of you in my flesh, you did not despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.

¹⁵What then has become of your blessing? For I can testify that, if it were possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

¹⁵Where then is your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, having gouged out your eyes, you would have given them to me.

¹⁶Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

¹⁶So have I become your enemy speaking truth to you?

¹⁷Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.

¹⁷They are zealous for you, not nobly, but they want to exclude you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.

¹⁸Nevertheless, it is good to be zealous if it serves a noble purpose—at any time, and not only when I am with you.

¹⁸Now it is good to be zealous in a good thing, always and not only in my being present with you.

¹⁹My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

¹⁹My children, of whom I travail again until that Christ shall have been formed in you,

²⁰how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you.

²⁰I was wishing indeed to be present with you now and to change my tone, because I am perplexed as to you.

Hagar and Sarah

²¹Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?

²¹Tell me, those wanting to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?

²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.^a

²²For it has been written that Abraham had two sons, one of the slave woman and one of the free woman.

²³His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.

²³But indeed, the one of the slave woman has been born according to flesh, but the one of the free woman through the promise,

²⁴These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar.

²⁴which things are allegorized, for these are two covenants: one indeed from Mount Sinai begetting unto slavery, which is Hagar.

²⁵Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.

²⁵Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

²⁶But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

²⁶But the Jerusalem above is free, who is our mother.

²⁷For it is written:

“Rejoice, O barren woman,

who bears no children;

break forth and cry aloud,

you who have never travailed;

because more are the children of the desolate woman

than of her who has a husband.”^a

²⁷For it has been written: “Rejoice O barren woman, the one not bearing; break forth and cry out, the one not travailing; because many more are the children of the desolate woman than of her having the husband.”

²⁸Now you,^a brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

²⁸Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

²⁹At that time, however, the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit. It is the same now.

²⁹But just as then the one having been born according to flesh was persecuting the one born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

³⁰But what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”^a

³⁰But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will never inherit with the son of the free woman.”

³¹Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.