GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New International Version NIV
16 Can it be that I have become your enemy for telling you the truth?
16
Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 These people [who distort the Good News] are devoted to you, but not in a good way. They don't want you to associate with me so that you will be devoted only to them.
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 (Devotion to a good cause is always good, even when I'm not with you.)
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 children, I am suffering birth pains for you again until Christ is formed in you.
19
My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
20 I wish I were with you right now so that I could change the tone of my voice. I'm completely puzzled by what you've done!
20
how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
21 Those who want to be controlled by Moses' laws should tell me something. Are you really listening to what Moses' Teachings say?
21
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?
22 Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one by a woman who was a slave and the other by a free woman.
22
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
23 Now, the son of the slave woman was conceived in a natural way, but the son of the free woman was conceived through a promise [made to Abraham].
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 I'm going to use these historical events as an illustration. The women illustrate two arrangements. The one woman, Hagar, is the arrangement made on Mount Sinai. Her children are born into slavery.
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 Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia. She is like Jerusalem today because she and her children are slaves.
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.
26
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.