Galatians 4
1 My point is this – as long as the heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a slave, though he is master of the whole estate.
Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be mstr of all;
2 He is subject to the control of guardians and stewards, during the period for which his father has power to appoint them.
But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
3 And so is it with us; when we were under age, as it were, we were slaves to the puerile teaching of this world;
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
4 but, when the full time came, God sent his Son – born a woman’s child, born subject to Law –
But when the fulness of the time was come, YHWH sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 to ransom those who were subject to Law, so that we might take our position as sons.
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And it is because you are sons that God sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, with the cry – “Abba, our Father.”
And because ye are sons, YHWH hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 You, therefore, are no longer a slave, but a son; and, if a son, then an heir also, by God’s appointment.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of YHWH through the Messiah.
8 Yet formerly, in your ignorance of God, you became slaves to “gods” which were no gods.
Howbeit then, when ye knew not YHWH, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now that you have found God – or, rather, have been found by him – how is it that you are turning back to that poor and feeble puerile teaching, to which yet once again you are wanting to become slaves?
But now, after that ye have known YHWH, or rather are known of YHWH, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 You are scrupulous in keeping days and months and seasons and years!
Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 You make me fear that the labour which I have spent on you may have been wasted.
I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
12 I entreat you, friends, to become like me, as I became like you. You have never done me any wrong.
Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
13 You remember that it was owing to bodily infirmity that on the first occasion I told you the good news.
Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the glad tidings unto you at the first.
14 And as for what must have tried you in my condition, it did not inspire you with scorn or disgust, but you welcomed me as if I had been an angel of God – or Christ Jesus himself!
And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of Elohim, even as the Messiah Yahushua.
15 What has become then, of your blessings? For I can bear witness that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me!
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 to think, then, that I have become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
17 Certain people are seeking your favour, but with no honourable object. No, indeed, they want to isolate you, so that you will have to seek their favour.
They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
18 It is always honourable to have your favour sought in an honourable cause, and not only when I am with you, my dear children –
But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
19 you for whom I am again enduring a mother’s pains, until a likeness to Christ will have been formed in you.
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until the Messiah be formed in you,
20 But I could wish to be with you now and speak in a different tone, for I am perplexed about you.
I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
21 Tell me, you who want to be still subject to Law – Why don’t you listen to the Law?
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one the child of the slave-woman and the other the child of the free woman.
For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But the child of the slave-woman was born in the course of nature, while the child of the free woman was born in fulfilment of a promise.
But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 This story may be taken as an allegory. The women stand for two covenants. One covenant, given from Mount Sinai, produces a race of slaves and is represented by Hagar.
Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Hagar.
25 Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, and represents the Jerusalem of today, for she and her children are in slavery.
For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she it is who is our mother.
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For scripture says – “Rejoice, you barren one, who have never given birth, break into shouts, you who are never in labour, for many are the children of her who is desolate – yes, more than of her who has a husband.”
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 As for ourselves, friends, we, like Isaac, are children born in fulfilment of a promise.
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 Yet at that time the child born in the course of nature persecuted the child born by the power of the Spirit; and it is the same now.
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 But what does the passage of scripture say? “Send away the slave-woman and her son; for the slave’s son will not be coheir with the son of the free woman.”
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 And so, friends, we are not children of a slave, but of her who is free.
So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
