Galatians 4 (New American Standard)

Sonship in Christ

1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a ^achild, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is ^bowner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and ^cmanagers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held ¹in bondage under the ^d2elemental things of the world. 4 But when ³the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, ⁴born of a woman, born ⁵under ^ethe Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under ^fthe Law, that we might receive the adoption as ⁶sons. 6 Because you are sons, ⁷God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "⁸Abba ! Father !" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son ; and ⁹if a son, then an heir ^gthrough God. 8 However at that time, ¹⁰when you did not know God, you were ¹¹slaves to ¹²those which by nature are no gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be ¹³known by God, ¹⁴how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless ^h15elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again ? 10 You ¹⁶observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored ⁱover you in vain. 12 I beg of you, ¹⁷brethren, ¹⁸become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong ; 13 but you know that it was because of a ^jbodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the ^kfirst time ; 14 and that which was a ^ltrial to you in my ^mbodily condition you did not despise or ⁿloathe, but ¹⁹you received me as an angel of God, as ²⁰Christ Jesus Himself. 15 Where then is ^othat sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So have I become your enemy ²¹by ^ptelling you the truth ? 17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. 18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable ^qmanner, and ²²not only when I am present with you. 19 ²³My children, with whom ²⁴I am again in labor until ²⁵Christ is formed in you- 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for ²⁶I am perplexed about you.

Bond and Free

21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not ²⁷listen to the law ? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ²⁸one by the bondwoman and ²⁹one by the free woman. 23 But ³⁰the son by the bondwoman ^rwas born according to the flesh, and ³¹the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 ^s32This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants : one proceeding from ³³Mount Sinai bearing children ^twho are to be ³⁴slaves ; ^ushe is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But ³⁵the Jerusalem above is free ; ^vshe is our mother. 27 For it is written, "³⁶REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR ; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR ; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND." 28 And you brethren, ³⁷like Isaac, are ³⁸children of promise. 29 But as at that time ³⁹he who was born according to the flesh ⁴⁰persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ⁴¹so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say ? "⁴²CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR ⁴³THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN." 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, ^wbut of the free woman.