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Galatians 4
Legacy Standard Bible
Galatians 4
Legacy Standard Bible
Sonship in Christ
4 Now I say, as long as the heir is a [a]child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is [b]owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and stewards until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were (A)enslaved under the [c](B)elemental things of the world. 4 But when (C)the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, (D)born of a woman, born (E)under [d]the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under [e]the Law, that we might receive the adoption as (F)sons. 6 And because you are sons, (G)God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “(H)Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and (I)if a son, then an heir [f]through God.
8 However at that time, (J)when you did not know God, you were (K)slaves to (L)those which by nature are no gods. 9 But now, having known God, or rather having been (M)known by God, (N)how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless [g](O)elemental things, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? 10 You (P)observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [h]over you for nothing.
12 I beg of you, (Q)brothers, (R)become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. 13 But you know that it was because of a [i]bodily illness that I proclaimed the gospel to you the [j]first time; 14 and that which was a [k]trial to you in my [l]bodily condition you did not despise or [m]loathe, but (S)you received me as an angel of God, as (T)Christ Jesus Himself. 15 Where then is [n]that sense of blessing you had? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So have I become your enemy (U)by [o]telling you the truth? 17 They zealously seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will zealously seek them. 18 But it is good always to be zealously sought in a commendable [p]manner, and (V)not only when I am present with you. 19 (W)My children, with whom (X)I am again in labor until (Y)Christ is formed in you— 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, because (Z)I am perplexed about you.
An Allegory of Two Covenants
21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not (AA)listen to the Law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, (AB)one by the servant-woman and (AC)one by the free woman. 23 But (AD)the son by the servant-woman had been born according to the flesh, while (AE)the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 [q](AF)This is [r]spoken with allegory, for these women are two covenants: one from (AG)Mount Sinai bearing children into (AH)slavery; [s]she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But (AI)the Jerusalem above is free; [t]she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
“(AJ)Rejoice, barren woman who does not give birth;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For more numerous are the children of the desolate one
Than of the one who has a husband.”
28 And you brothers, (AK)in accordance with Isaac, are (AL)children of promise. 29 But as at that time (AM)he who was born according to the flesh (AN)was persecuting him who was born according to the Spirit, (AO)so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say?
“(AP)Cast out the servant-woman and her son,
For (AQ)the son of the servant-woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”
31 So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant-woman, [u]but of the free woman.
Footnotes
- Galatians 4:1 Or minor
- Galatians 4:1 Lit lord
- Galatians 4:3 Or rudimentary teachings, principles
- Galatians 4:4 Or law
- Galatians 4:5 Or law
- Galatians 4:7 Through the gracious act of
- Galatians 4:9 Or rudimentary teachings, principles
- Galatians 4:11 Or for
- Galatians 4:13 Lit weakness of the flesh
- Galatians 4:13 Or former
- Galatians 4:14 Or temptation
- Galatians 4:14 Lit flesh
- Galatians 4:14 Lit spit out at
- Galatians 4:15 Lit the congratulation of yourselves
- Galatians 4:16 Or dealing truthfully with you
- Galatians 4:18 Or thing
- Galatians 4:24 Lit Which
- Galatians 4:24 Or written
- Galatians 4:24 Lit which
- Galatians 4:26 Lit which
- Galatians 4:31 Ch 5:1, note 1
Galatians 4
King James Version
Galatians 4
King James Version
4 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for 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.
Galates 4
Louis Segond
Galates 4
Louis Segond
4 Or, aussi longtemps que l'héritier est enfant, je dis qu'il ne diffère en rien d'un esclave, quoiqu'il soit le maître de tout;
2 mais il est sous des tuteurs et des administrateurs jusqu'au temps marqué par le père.
3 Nous aussi, de la même manière, lorsque nous étions enfants, nous étions sous l'esclavage des rudiments du monde;
4 mais, lorsque les temps ont été accomplis, Dieu a envoyé son Fils, né d'une femme, né sous la loi,
5 afin qu'il rachetât ceux qui étaient sous la loi, afin que nous reçussions l'adoption.
6 Et parce que vous êtes fils, Dieu a envoyé dans nos coeurs l'Esprit de son Fils, lequel crie: Abba! Père!
7 Ainsi tu n'es plus esclave, mais fils; et si tu es fils, tu es aussi héritier par la grâce de Dieu.
8 Autrefois, ne connaissant pas Dieu, vous serviez des dieux qui ne le sont pas de leur nature;
9 mais à présent que vous avez connu Dieu, ou plutôt que vous avez été connus de Dieu, comment retournez-vous à ces faibles et pauvres rudiments, auxquels de nouveau vous voulez vous asservir encore?
10 Vous observez les jours, les mois, les temps et les années!
11 Je crains d'avoir inutilement travaillé pour vous.
12 Soyez comme moi, car moi aussi je suis comme vous. Frères, je vous en supplie.
13 Vous ne m'avez fait aucun tort. Vous savez que ce fut à cause d'une infirmité de la chair que je vous ai pour la première fois annoncé l'Évangile.
14 Et mis à l'épreuve par ma chair, vous n'avez témoigné ni mépris ni dégoût; vous m'avez, au contraire, reçu comme un ange de Dieu, comme Jésus Christ.
15 Où donc est l'expression de votre bonheur? Car je vous atteste que, si cela eût été possible, vous vous seriez arraché les yeux pour me les donner.
16 Suis-je devenu votre ennemi en vous disant la vérité?
17 Le zèle qu'ils ont pour vous n'est pas pur, mais ils veulent vous détacher de nous, afin que vous soyez zélés pour eux.
18 Il est beau d'avoir du zèle pour ce qui est bien et en tout temps, et non pas seulement quand je suis présent parmi vous.
19 Mes enfants, pour qui j'éprouve de nouveau les douleurs de l'enfantement, jusqu'à ce que Christ soit formé en vous,
20 je voudrais être maintenant auprès de vous, et changer de langage, car je suis dans l'inquiétude à votre sujet.
21 Dites-moi, vous qui voulez être sous la loi, n'entendez-vous point la loi?
22 Car il est écrit qu'Abraham eut deux fils, un de la femme esclave, et un de la femme libre.
23 Mais celui de l'esclave naquit selon la chair, et celui de la femme libre naquit en vertu de la promesse.
24 Ces choses sont allégoriques; car ces femmes sont deux alliances. L'une du mont Sinaï, enfantant pour la servitude, c'est Agar, -
25 car Agar, c'est le mont Sinaï en Arabie, -et elle correspond à la Jérusalem actuelle, qui est dans la servitude avec ses enfants.
26 Mais la Jérusalem d'en haut est libre, c'est notre mère;
27 car il est écrit: Réjouis-toi, stérile, toi qui n'enfantes point! Éclate et pousse des cris, toi qui n'as pas éprouvé les douleurs de l'enfantement! Car les enfants de la délaissée seront plus nombreux Que les enfants de celle qui était mariée.
28 Pour vous, frères, comme Isaac, vous êtes enfants de la promesse;
29 et de même qu'alors celui qui était né selon la chair persécutait celui qui était né selon l'Esprit, ainsi en est-il encore maintenant.
30 Mais que dit l'Écriture? Chasse l'esclave et son fils, car le fils de l'esclave n'héritera pas avec le fils de la femme libre.
31 C'est pourquoi, frères, nous ne sommes pas enfants de l'esclave, mais de la femme libre.
Galatians 4
New International Version
Galatians 4
New International Version
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(A) under the elemental spiritual forces[a] of the world.(B) 4 But when the set time had fully come,(C) God sent his Son,(D) born of a woman,(E) born under the law,(F) 5 to redeem(G) those under the law, that we might receive adoption(H) to sonship.[b](I) 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son(J) into our hearts,(K) the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[c] Father.”(L) 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.(M)
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians
8 Formerly, when you did not know God,(N) you were slaves(O) to those who by nature are not gods.(P) 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God(Q)—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces[d]? Do you wish to be enslaved(R) by them all over again?(S) 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!(T) 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.(U)
12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters,(V) become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness(W) 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.(X) 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?(Y)
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.(Z) 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.(AA) 19 My dear children,(AB) for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,(AC) 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,(AD) are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman(AE) and the other by the free woman.(AF) 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,(AG) but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.(AH)
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(AI) is free, and she is our mother. 27 For 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.”[e](AJ)
28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.(AK) 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh(AL) persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit.(AM) 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](AN) 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,(AO) but of the free woman.(AP)
Footnotes
- Galatians 4:3 Or under the basic principles
- Galatians 4:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.
- Galatians 4:6 Aramaic for Father
- Galatians 4:9 Or principles
- Galatians 4:27 Isaiah 54:1
- Galatians 4:30 Gen. 21:10
Galatians 4
New King James Version
Galatians 4
New King James Version
Sons and Heirs Through Christ
4 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, (A)were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But (B)when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, (C)born[a] (D)of a woman, (E)born under the law, 5 (F)to redeem those who were under the law, (G)that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth (H)the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, [b]“Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, (I)and if a son, then an heir [c]of God [d]through Christ.
Fears for the Church
8 But then, indeed, (J)when you did not know God, (K)you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now (L)after you have known God, or rather are known by God, (M)how is it that you turn again to (N)the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 (O)You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, (P)lest I have labored for you in vain.
12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. (Q)You have not injured me at all. 13 You know that (R)because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me (S)as an [e]angel of God, (T)even as Christ Jesus. 15 [f]What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17 They (U)zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. 18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. 19 (V)My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.
Two Covenants(W)
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: (X)the one by a bondwoman, (Y)the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman (Z)was born according to the flesh, (AA)and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are [g]the two covenants: the one from Mount (AB)Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the (AC)Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written:
(AD)“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.”
28 Now (AE)we, brethren, as Isaac was, are (AF)children of promise. 29 But, as (AG)he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, (AH)even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does (AI)the Scripture say? (AJ)“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for (AK)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.
Footnotes
- Galatians 4:4 Or made
- Galatians 4:6 Lit., in Aram., Father
- Galatians 4:7 NU through God
- Galatians 4:7 NU omits through Christ
- Galatians 4:14 Or messenger
- Galatians 4:15 NU Where
- Galatians 4:24 NU, M omit the
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)
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Louis Segond (LSG)
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.