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Galatians 4
New American Standard Bible

Sonship in Christ

4 Now I say, as long as the heir is a [a]child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is [b]owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and [c]managers until the [d]date set by the father. 3 So we too, when we were children, were held (A)in bondage under the [e](B)elementary principles of the world. 4 But when (C)the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, (D)born of a woman, born (E)under [f]the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under [g]the Law, that we might receive the adoption as (F)sons and daughters. 6 Because you are sons, (G)God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “(H)Abba! [h]Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and (I)if a son, then an heir [i]through God.

8 However at that time, (J)when you did not know God, you were (K)slaves to (L)those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be (M)known by God, (N)how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless [j](O)elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? 10 You (P)meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [k]over you in vain.

12 I beg of you, (Q)brothers and sisters, (R)become 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 [l]bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the [m]first time; 14 and you did not despise that which was a trial to you in my [n]bodily condition, nor express contempt, but (S)you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. 15 Where then is [o]that sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So have I become your enemy (T)by [p]telling you the truth? 17 They eagerly seek you, not [q]in a commendable way, but they want to shut you out so that you will seek them. 18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought [r]in a commendable way, and (U)not only when I am present with you. 19 (V)My children, with whom (W)I am again in labor until (X)Christ is formed in you— 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone of voice, for (Y)I am at a loss about you!

Slave and Free

21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not (Z)listen to the Law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, (AA)one by the slave woman and (AB)one by the free woman. 23 But (AC)the son by the slave woman [s]was born according to the flesh, and (AD)the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 [t](AE)This is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants: one coming from (AF)Mount Sinai giving birth to children [u]who are to be (AG)slaves; [v]she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is enslaved with her children. 26 But (AH)the Jerusalem above is free; [w]she is our mother. 27 For it is written:

“(AI)Rejoice, infertile one, you who do not give birth;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
Than those of the one who has a husband.”

28 And you, brothers and sisters, (AJ)like Isaac, are (AK)children of promise. 29 But as at that time (AL)the son who was born according to the flesh (AM)persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, (AN)so it is even now. 30 But what does the Scripture say?

“(AO)Drive out the slave woman and her son,
For (AP)the son of the slave woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

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

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:1 Or minor
  2. Galatians 4:1 Lit lord
  3. Galatians 4:2 Or stewards
  4. Galatians 4:2 I.e., when the child is no longer a minor
  5. Galatians 4:3 Or rudimentary teachings
  6. Galatians 4:4 Or law
  7. Galatians 4:5 Or law
  8. Galatians 4:6 I.e., Paul’s translation of the Aramaic Abba
  9. Galatians 4:7 I.e., through the gracious act of
  10. Galatians 4:9 Or rudimentary teachings
  11. Galatians 4:11 Or for
  12. Galatians 4:13 Lit weakness of the flesh
  13. Galatians 4:13 Or former
  14. Galatians 4:14 Lit flesh
  15. Galatians 4:15 I.e., considering yourselves fortunate
  16. Galatians 4:16 Or dealing truthfully with you
  17. Galatians 4:17 Or with good intentions
  18. Galatians 4:18 Or with good intentions
  19. Galatians 4:23 Lit has been born
  20. Galatians 4:24 Lit Which
  21. Galatians 4:24 Lit into slavery
  22. Galatians 4:24 Lit which
  23. Galatians 4:26 Lit which
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Galatians 4
Easy-to-Read Version

4 This is what I am saying: When young children inherit all that their father owned, they are still no different from his slaves. It doesn’t matter that they own everything. 2 While they are children, they must obey those who are chosen to care for them. But when they reach the age the father set, they are free. 3 It is the same for us. We were once like children, slaves to the useless rules[a] of this world. 4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, who was born from a woman and lived under the law. 5 God did this so that he could buy the freedom of those who were under the law. God’s purpose was to make us his children.

6 Since you are now God’s children, he has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts. The Spirit cries out, “ Abba,[b] Father.” 7 Now you are not slaves like before. You are God’s children, and you will receive everything he promised his children.

Paul’s Love for the Galatian Believers

8 In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real. 9 But now you know the true God. Really, though, it is God who knows you. So why do you turn back to the same kind of weak and useless rules you followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again? 10-11 It worries me that you follow teachings about special days, months, seasons, and years. I fear that my work for you has been wasted.

12 Brothers and sisters, I became like you. So please become like me. You were very good to me before. 13 You know that I came to you the first time because I was sick. That was when I told the Good News to you. 14 My sickness was a burden to you, but you did not stop showing me respect or make me leave. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel from God. You accepted me as if I were Jesus Christ himself! 15 You were very happy then. Where is that joy now? I can say without a doubt that you would have done anything to help me. If it had been possible, you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me. 16 Am I now your enemy because I tell you the truth?

17 Those people[c] are working hard to persuade you, but this is not good for you. They want to persuade you to turn against us and work hard for them. 18 It is good for you to work hard, of course, if it is for something good. That’s something you should do whether I am there or not. 19 My little children, I am in pain again over you, like a mother giving birth. I will feel this pain until people can look at you and see Christ. 20 I wish I could be with you now. Then maybe I could change the way I am talking to you. Now I don’t know what to do about you.

The Example of Hagar and Sarah

21 Some of you people want to be under the law. Tell me, do you know what the law says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons. The mother of one son was a slave woman, and the mother of the other son was a free woman. 23 Abraham’s son from the slave woman was born in the normal human way. But the son from the free woman was born because of the promise God made to Abraham.

24 This true story makes a picture for us. The two women are like the two agreements between God and his people. One agreement is the law that God made on Mount Sinai. The people who are under this agreement are like slaves. The mother named Hagar is like that agreement. 25 So Hagar is like Mount Sinai in Arabia. She is a picture of the earthly Jewish city of Jerusalem. This city is a slave, and all its people are slaves to the law. 26 But the heavenly Jerusalem that is above is like the free woman, who is our mother. 27 The Scriptures say,

“Be happy, woman—you who cannot have children.
    Be glad you never gave birth.
Shout and cry with joy!
    You never felt those labor pains.
The woman who is alone[d] will have more children
    than the woman who has a husband.” (A)

28 My brothers and sisters, you are children who were born because of God’s promise, just as Isaac was. 29 But the other son of Abraham, who was born in the normal way, caused trouble for the one who was born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same today. 30 But what do the Scriptures say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son! The son of the free woman will receive everything his father has, but the son of the slave woman will receive nothing.”[e] 31 So, my brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman. We are children of the free woman.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:3 rules Or “powers.” Also in verse 9.
  2. Galatians 4:6 Abba An Aramaic word that was used by Jewish children as a name for their fathers.
  3. Galatians 4:17 Those people The false teachers who were bothering the believers in Galatia. See Gal. 1:7.
  4. Galatians 4:27 woman … alone This means her husband has left her.
  5. Galatians 4:30 Quote from Gen. 21:10.
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Galatians 3
Galatians 5
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