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.

²³ He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit^(A) on the man’s eyes and put his hands on^(B) him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

¹⁸ This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.^{(A) 19} When Moses had proclaimed^(B) every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves,^(C) together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.^{(D) 20} He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”^[a](E)

The Law and the Promise

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters,^(A) let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. ¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.^(B) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”^[a](C) meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷ What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years^(D) later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise;^(E) but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹ Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions^(F) until the Seed^(G) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels^(H) and entrusted to a mediator.^(I)

¹¹ Now the hand of the Lord is against you.^(A) You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”^(B)

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.^(A) So they led him by the hand into Damascus.

¹³ Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears.^(A) You weep and wail^(B) because he no longer looks with favor^(C) on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.^(D)