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.^{(A) 18} It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.^{(B) 19} My dear children,^(C) for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,^{(D) 20} how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

Hagar and Sarah

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under the law,^(E) are you not aware of what the law says? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman^(F) and the other by the free woman.^{(G) 23} His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,^(H) but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.^(I)

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.