Parallel Bible results for "galatians 4"

Galatians 4

Weymouth New Testament WNT

1 Now I say that so long as an heir is a child, he in no respect differs from a slave, although he is the owner of everything,

2 but he is under the control of guardians and trustees until the time his father has appointed.

3 So we also, when spiritually we were children, were subject to the world's rudimentary notions, and were enslaved.

4 But, when the time was fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born subject to Law,

5 in order to purchase the freedom of all who were subject to Law, so that we might receive recognition as sons.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of His Son to enter your hearts and cry "Abba! our Father!"

7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir also through God's own act.

8 But at one time, you Gentiles, having no knowledge of God, were slaves to gods which in reality do not exist.

9 Now, however, having come to know God--or rather to be known by Him--how is it you are again turning back to weak and worthless rudimentary notions to which you are once more willing to be enslaved?

10 You scrupulously observe days and months, special seasons, and years.

11 I am alarmed about you, and am afraid that I have perhaps bestowed labour upon you to no purpose.

12 Brethren, become as I am, I beseech you; for I have also become like you. In no respect did you behave badly to me.

13 And you know that in those early days it was on account of bodily infirmity that I proclaimed the Good News to you,

14 and yet the bodily infirmity which was such a trial to you, you did not regard with contempt or loathing, but you received me as if I had been an angel of God or Christ Jesus Himself!

15 I ask you, then, what has become of your self-congratulations? For I bear you witness that had it been possible you would have torn out your own eyes and have given them to me.

16 Can it be that I have become your enemy through speaking the truth to you?

17 These men pay court to you, but not with honourable motives. They want to exclude you, so that you may pay court to them.

18 It is always an honourable thing to be courted in an honourable cause; always, and not only when I am with you, my children--

19 you for whom I am again, as it were, undergoing the pains of childbirth, until Christ is fully formed within you.

20 Would that I were with you and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

21 Tell me--you who want to continue to be subject to Law--will you not listen to the Law?

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-girl and one by the free woman.

23 But we see that the child of the slave-girl was born in the common course of nature; but the child of the free woman in fulfilment of the promise.

24 All this is allegorical; for the women represent two Covenants. One has its origin on Mount Sinai, and bears children destined for slavery.

25 This is Hagar; for the name Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, which is in bondage together with her children.

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

27 For it is written, "Rejoice, thou barren woman that bearest not, break forth into a joyful cry, thou that dost not travail with child. For the desolate woman has many children--more indeed than she who has the husband."

28 But you, brethren, like Isaac, are children born in fulfilment of a promise.

29 Yet just as, at that time, the child born in the common course of nature persecuted the one whose birth was due to the power of the Spirit, so it is now.

30 But what says the Scripture? "Send away the slave-girl and her son, for never shall the slave-girl's son share the inheritance with the son of the free woman."

31 Therefore, brethren, since we are not the children of a slave-girl, but of the free woman--

New International Version NIV

1 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.

2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.

3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.

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

5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

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

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

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

11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.

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

14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

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

17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.

18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.

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

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

21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

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

23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.

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

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

27 For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”

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

29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.

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

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