Galatians 4:21-31

Common English Bible

Slave versus free

²¹ Tell me—those of you who want to be under the Law—don’t you listen to the Law? ²² It’s written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. ²³ The son by the slave woman was conceived the normal way, but the son by the free woman was conceived through a promise. ²⁴ These things are an allegory: the women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to slave children; this is Hagar. ²⁵ Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and she corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because the city is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ It’s written:

²⁸ Brothers and sisters, you are children of the promise like Isaac. ²⁹ But just as it was then, so it is now also: the one who was conceived the normal way harassed the one who was conceived by the Spirit. ³⁰ But what does the scripture say? Throw out the slave woman and her son, because the slave woman’s son won’t share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.^{[b] 31} Therefore, brothers and sisters, we aren’t the slave woman’s children, but we are the free woman’s children.