Galatians 4:21-5:12

New King James Version

Two Covenants^(A)

²¹Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons: ^(B)the one by a bondwoman, ^(C)the other by a freewoman. ²³But he who was of the bondwoman ^(D)was born according to the flesh, ^(E)and he of the freewoman through promise, ²⁴which things are symbolic. For these are ^[a]the two covenants: the one from Mount ^(F)Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶but the ^(G)Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷For it is written:

^(H)“Rejoice, O barren,
You who do not bear!
Break forth and shout,
You who are not in labor!
For the desolate has many more children
Than she who has a husband.”

²⁸Now ^(I)we, brethren, as Isaac was, are ^(J)children of promise. ²⁹But, as ^(K)he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(L)even so it is now. ³⁰Nevertheless what does ^(M)the Scripture say? ^(N)“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for ^(O)the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” ³¹So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Christian Liberty

5 ^(P)Stand^[b] fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a ^(Q)yoke of bondage. ²Indeed I, Paul, say to you that ^(R)if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. ³And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised ^(S)that he is ^[c]a debtor to keep the whole law. ⁴^(T)You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; ^(U)you have fallen from grace. ⁵For we through the Spirit eagerly ^(V)wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. ⁶For ^(W)in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but ^(X)faith working through love.

Love Fulfills the Law

⁷You ^(Y)ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. ⁹^(Z)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.

¹¹And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, ^(AA)why do I still suffer persecution? Then ^(AB)the offense of the cross has ceased. ¹²^(AC)I could wish that those ^(AD)who trouble you would even ^[d]cut themselves off!

Footnotes

Galatians 4:24 NU, M omit the
Galatians 5:1 NU For freedom Christ has made us free; stand fast therefore, and
Galatians 5:3 obligated
Galatians 5:12 mutilate themselves

Psalm 80

New King James Version

Prayer for Israel’s Restoration

To the Chief Musician. ^(A)Set to ^[a]“The Lilies.” A ^[b]Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.

80 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
^(B)You who lead Joseph ^(C)like a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, ^(D)shine forth!
²Before ^(E)Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us!

³^(F)Restore us, O God;
^(G)Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

⁴O Lord God of hosts,
^(H)How long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?
⁵^(I)You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.
⁶You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.

⁷Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

⁸You have brought ^(J)a vine out of Egypt;
^(K)You have cast out the ^[c]nations, and planted it.
⁹You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.
¹⁰The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the ^[d]mighty cedars with its ^(L)boughs.
¹¹She sent out her boughs to ^[e]the Sea,
And her branches to ^[f]the River.

¹²Why have You ^(M)broken down her ^[g]hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
¹³The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.

¹⁴Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
^(N)Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
¹⁵And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong ^(O)for Yourself.
¹⁶It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
^(P)They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
¹⁷^(Q)Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
¹⁸Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.