1Now I say , That the heir, as long asheis a child,differethnothing from a servant, though he belord of all;2Butisundertutorsandgovernorsuntil the time appointed of the father.3Evensowe,when we werechildren,were in bondageunder the elementsa of the world:4Butwhen the fulness of the time was come , God sent forthhisSon,madeof a woman,madeunder the law,5Toredeem them that were under the law,that we might receive the adoption of sons.6Andbecause ye aresons,God hath sent forth the Spirit of hisSonintoyourhearts,crying , Abba,Father.7Wherefore thou art no more a servant,but a son;andif a son,then an heir of GodthroughChrist.8Howbeitthen , when ye knewnotGod, ye did service unto them which by naturearenogods.9Butnow, after that ye have knownGod,orrather are knownofGod,how turn yeagainbto the weakandbeggarlyelements,whereunto ye desireagainto be in bondage ?
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Ye observedays,andmonths,andtimes,andyears.11
I am afraid of you,lestI have bestoweduponyoulabour in vain.12Brethren, I beseechyou,beasI am; forI am asye are: ye have not injuredme at all.13Yeknowhowthroughinfirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.14Andmytemptation which was inmyflesh ye despisednot,norrejected ; butreceivedmeas an angel of God, even asChristJesus.15Wherecisthen the blessednessye spake of? for I bearyourecord , that,if it had been possible, ye would have plucked outyour own eyes, and have given them to me.16
Am Ithereforebecomeyourenemy, because I tellyou the truth ?
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They zealously affectyou, but notwell;yea, they wouldexcludeyou,dthat ye might affectthem.18But it is good to be zealously affectedalwaysin a good thing, andnotonlywhenI am presentwithyou.19My little children, of whom I travail in birthagainuntilChrist be formedinyou,20Idesire to be presentwithyounow,and to changemyvoice;for I stand in doubtofyou.21Tellme, ye that desire to beunder the law, do yenothear the law?22For it is written , thatAbrahamhadtwosons, the oneby a bondmaid , the otherby a freewoman.23Buthe who was of the bondwoman was bornafter the flesh;but he of the freewoman was bypromise.24
Which thingsare an allegory : fortheseare the twocovenants;e the onefrom the mountSinai, which genderethtobondage,whichisAgar.25For this AgarismountSinaiinArabia,andanswereth to Jerusalemwhich now is,and is in bondagewithherchildren.26ButJerusalem which is aboveisfree,whichis the mother of usall.27For it is written , Rejoice , thou barren that bearestnot; break forthandcry , thou that travailestnot:for the desolate hath many morechildrenthanshe which hath an husband.28Nowwe,brethren,asIsaacwas,are the children of promise.29Butasthen he that was bornafter the fleshpersecuted him that was born after the Spirit,evenso it is now.30Neverthelesswhatsaith the scripture? Cast out the bondwomanandherson:for the son of the bondwomanshallnot be heirwith the son of the freewoman.31
So then,brethren, we arenotchildren of the bondwoman,but of the free.