⁴⁰ Now the ^[a]sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in ^[b]Egypt was ^(A)four hundred and thirty years. ⁴¹ And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that ^(B)all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.

The Changeless Promise^(A)

¹⁵ Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: ^(B)Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. ¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of ^(C)one, ^(D)“And to your Seed,” who is ^(E)Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, ^(F)which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God ^[a]in Christ, ^(G)that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if ^(H)the inheritance is of the law, ^(I)it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Purpose of the Law

¹⁹ What purpose then does the law serve? ^(J)It was added because of transgressions, till the ^(K)Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ^(L)appointed through angels by the hand ^(M)of a mediator.

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