Galatians 4:21-31

Jubilee Bible 2000

²¹¶ Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, have ye not heard the law?

²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

²³But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, but he of the freewoman was born through the promise.

²⁴Which things are an allegory; for these women are the two covenants: the one from the Mount Sinai, which begat unto slavery, which is Hagar.

²⁵For this Hagar or Sinai is a mount in Arabia, which corresponds to the one that is now Jerusalem, which together with her children is in slavery.

²⁶But the Jerusalem of above is free, which is the mother of us all.

²⁷For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth into praise and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.

²⁸So that we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

²⁹But as then he that was born according to the flesh persecuted him that was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

³⁰Nevertheless what does the scripture say? Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for 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.

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Galatians 4:21-31

New International Version

Hagar and Sarah

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

²⁴These 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. ²⁵Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶But the Jerusalem that is above^(F) is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”^[a]^(G)

²⁸Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.^(H) ²⁹At that time the son born according to the flesh^(I) persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit.^(J) It is the same now. ³⁰But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”^[b]^(K) ³¹Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,^(L) but of the free woman.^(M)