New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property;
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But I say that as long as the son is a child, he is in no way different from a servant, though he is lord of all;
2 but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father.
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But is under keepers and managers till the time fixed by the father.
3 So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world.
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So we, when we were young, were kept under the first rules of the world;
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
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But when the time had come, God sent out his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.
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That he might make them free who were under the law, and that we might be given the place of sons.
6 And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
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And because you are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, saying, Abba, Father.
7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
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So that you are no longer a servant, but a son; and if a son, then the heritage of God is yours.
8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods.
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But at that time, having no knowledge of God, you were servants to those who by right are no gods:
9 Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again?
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But now that you have come to have knowledge of God, or more truly, God has knowledge of you, how is it that you go back again to the poor and feeble first things, desiring to be servants to them again?
10 You are observing special days, and months, and seasons, and years.
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You keep days, and months, and fixed times, and years.
11 I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted.
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I am in fear of you, that I may have been working for you to no purpose.
12 Friends, I beg you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong.
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My desire for you, brothers, is that you may be as I am, because I am as you are. You have done me no wrong;
13 You know that it was because of a physical infirmity that I first announced the gospel to you;
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But you have knowledge that with a feeble body I was preaching the good news to you the first time;
14 though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or despise me, but welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.
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And you did not have a poor opinion of me because of the trouble in my flesh, or put shame on it; but you took me to your hearts as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 What has become of the goodwill you felt? For I testify that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
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Where then is that happy condition of yours? because I give you witness, that, if possible, you would have taken out your eyes and given them to me.
16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
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So then am I no longer your friend, because I give you true words?
17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you may make much of them.
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Their interest in you is not good; but their desire is that you may be shut out, so that you may go after them.
18 It is good to be made much of for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you.
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But it is good to have an interest in a good cause at all times, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
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My children, of whom I am again in birth-pains till Christ is formed in you,
20 I wish I were present with you now and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
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Truly my desire is to be present with you now, using a changed voice; for I am troubled about you.
21 Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law?
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Say, you whose desire it is to be under the law, do you not give ear to the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman.
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Because it is in the Writings, that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant-woman, and one by the free woman.
23 One, the child of the slave, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise.
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Now the son by the servant-woman has his birth after the flesh; but the son by the free woman has his birth through the undertaking of God.
24 Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One woman, in fact, is Hagar, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery.
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Which things have a secret sense; because these women are the two agreements; one from the mountain of Sinai, giving birth to servants, which is Hagar.
25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
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Now this Hagar is the mountain Sinai in Arabia, and is the image of the Jerusalem which now is: which is a servant with her children.
26 But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother.
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But the Jerusalem on high is free, which is our mother.
27 For it is written, "Rejoice, you childless one, you who bear no children, burst into song and shout, you who endure no birth pangs; for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than the children of the one who is married."
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For it is in the Writings, You who have never given birth, be glad; give cries of joy, you who have had no birth-pains; for the children of her who has been given up by her husband are more than those of the woman who has a husband.
28 Now you, my friends, are children of the promise, like Isaac.
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Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are the children of the undertaking of God.
29 But just as at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.
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But as in those days he who had birth after the flesh was cruel to him who had birth after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 But what does the scripture say? "Drive out the slave and her child; for the child of the slave will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman."
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What then do the Writings say? Send away the servant-woman and her son; for the son of the servant-woman will not have a part in the heritage with the son of the free woman.
31 So then, friends, we are children, not of the slave but of the free woman.
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So, brothers, we are not children of the servant-woman, but of the free woman.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.