²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(A) through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ^(B) have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(C) 28} There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,^(D) nor is there male and female,^(E) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.^{(F) 29} If you belong to Christ,^(G) then you are Abraham’s seed,^(H) and heirs^(I) according to the promise.^(J)

4 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. ² The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. ³ So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery^(K) under the elemental spiritual forces^[a] of the world.^{(L) 4} But when the set time had fully come,^(M) God sent his Son,^(N) born of a woman,^(O) born under the law,^{(P) 5} to redeem^(Q) those under the law, that we might receive adoption^(R) to sonship.^{[b](S) 6} Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son^(T) into our hearts,^(U) the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,^[c] Father.”^{(V) 7} So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.^(W)

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

⁸ Formerly, when you did not know God,^(X) you were slaves^(Y) to those who by nature are not gods.^{(Z) 9} But now that you know God—or rather are known by God^(AA)—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces^[d]? Do you wish to be enslaved^(AB) by them all over again?^{(AC) 10} You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!^{(AD) 11} I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.^(AE)

¹² I plead with you, brothers and sisters,^(AF) become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. ¹³ As you know, it was because of an illness^(AG) that I first preached the gospel to you, ¹⁴ and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.^{(AH) 15} Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?^(AI)

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.^{(AJ) 18} It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.^{(AK) 19} My dear children,^(AL) for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,^{(AM) 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,^(AN) are you not aware of what the law says? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman^(AO) and the other by the free woman.^{(AP) 23} His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,^(AQ) but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.^(AR)

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

²⁸ Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.^{(AU) 29} At that time the son born according to the flesh^(AV) persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit.^(AW) It is the same now. ³⁰ But 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.”^{[f](AX) 31} Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,^(AY) but of the free woman.^(AZ)

Freedom in Christ

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.^(BA) Stand firm,^(BB) then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.^(BC)

² Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,^(BD) Christ will be of no value to you at all.

¹⁵ So Hagar^(A) bore Abram a son,^(B) and Abram gave the name Ishmael^(C) to the son she had borne. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old^(D) when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

The Covenant of Circumcision

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old,^(E) the Lord appeared to him^(F) and said, “I am God Almighty^[a];^(G) walk before me faithfully and be blameless.^{(H) 2} Then I will make my covenant between me and you^(I) and will greatly increase your numbers.”^(J)

³ Abram fell facedown,^(K) and God said to him, ⁴ “As for me, this is my covenant with you:^(L) You will be the father of many nations.^{(M) 5} No longer will you be called Abram^[b]; your name will be Abraham,^[c](N) for I have made you a father of many nations.^{(O) 6} I will make you very fruitful;^(P) I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.^(Q)

¹⁵ God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai^(A) your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.^{(B) 16} I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.^(C) I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations;^(D) kings of peoples will come from her.”

¹⁷ Abraham fell facedown;^(E) he laughed^(F) and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?^(G) Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”^{(H) 18} And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael^(I) might live under your blessing!”^(J)

¹⁹ Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son,^(K) and you will call him Isaac.^[a](L) I will establish my covenant with him^(M) as an everlasting covenant^(N) for his descendants after him. ²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers.^(O) He will be the father of twelve rulers,^(P) and I will make him into a great nation.^{(Q) 21} But my covenant^(R) I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you^(S) by this time next year.”^{(T) 22} When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.^(U)

⁹ “Where is your wife Sarah?”^(A) they asked him.

“There, in the tent,^(B)” he said.

¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,^(C) and Sarah your wife will have a son.”^(D)

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were already very old,^(E) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.^{(F) 12} So Sarah laughed^(G) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord^(H) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’^{(I) 14} Is anything too hard for the Lord?^(J) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,^(K) and Sarah will have a son.”^(L)

¹⁵ Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

The Birth of Isaac

21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah^(A) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.^{(B) 2} Sarah became pregnant and bore a son^(C) to Abraham in his old age,^(D) at the very time God had promised him.^{(E) 3} Abraham gave the name Isaac^[a](F) to the son Sarah bore him. ⁴ When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,^(G) as God commanded him. ⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old^(H) when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶ Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,^(I) and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” ⁷ And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”^(J)

²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done,^(A) he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.^(B)