Paul's Concern for the Galatians

Formerly, when you (A)did not know God, you (B)were enslaved to those that by nature (C)are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather (D)to be known by God, (E)how can you turn back again to (F)the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 (G)You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid (H)I may have labored over you in vain.

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However, in the past, when you did not know God, you were slaves to things that are not really gods at all.[a] But now that you know God, or rather have been known by God, how can you turn back again to those powerless and bankrupt basic principles?[b] Why do you want to become their slaves all over again? 10 You are observing days, months, seasons, and years. 11 I am afraid for you! I don’t want my work for you to have[c] been wasted!

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:8 Lit. gods by nature
  2. Galatians 4:9 Or elemental spirits
  3. Galatians 4:11 Lit. you, lest somehow my work for you has