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.
Dico autem: quanto tempore hæres parvulus est, nihil differt a servo, cum sit dominus omnium:
2 He is subject to the control of guardians and stewards, during the period for which his father has power to appoint them.
sed sub tutoribus et actoribus est usque ad præfinitum tempus a patre:
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;
ita et nos cum essemus parvuli, sub elementis mundi eramus servientes.
4 but, when the full time came, God sent his Son – born a woman’s child, born subject to Law –
At ubi venit plenitudo temporis, misit Deus Filium suum factum ex muliere, factum sub lege,
5 to ransom those who were subject to Law, so that we might take our position as sons.
ut eos, qui sub lege erant, redimeret, ut adoptionem filiorum reciperemus.
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.”
Quoniam autem estis filii, misit Deus Spiritum Filii sui in corda vestra, clamantem: Abba, Pater.
7 You, therefore, are no longer a slave, but a son; and, if a son, then an heir also, by God’s appointment.
Itaque jam non est servus, sed filius: quod si filius, et hæres per Deum.
8 Yet formerly, in your ignorance of God, you became slaves to “gods” which were no gods.
Sed tunc quidem ignorantes Deum, iis, qui natura non sunt dii, serviebatis.
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?
Nunc autem cum cognoveritis Deum, immo cogniti sitis a Deo: quomodo convertimini iterum ad infirma et egena elementa, quibus denuo servire vultis?
10 You are scrupulous in keeping days and months and seasons and years!
Dies observatis, et menses, et tempora, et annos.
11 You make me fear that the labour which I have spent on you may have been wasted.
Timeo vos, ne forte sine causa laboraverim in vobis.
12 I entreat you, friends, to become like me, as I became like you. You have never done me any wrong.
Estote sicut ego, quia et ego sicut vos: fratres, obsecro vos. Nihil me læsistis.
13 You remember that it was owing to bodily infirmity that on the first occasion I told you the good news.
Scitis autem quia per infirmitatem carnis evangelizavi vobis jampridem: et tentationem vestram in carne mea
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!
non sprevistis, neque respuistis: sed sicut angelum Dei excepistis me, sicut Christum Jesum.
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!
Ubi est ergo beatitudo vestra? testimonium enim perhibeo vobis, quia, si fieri posset, oculos vestros eruissetis, et dedissetis mihi.
16 Am I to think, then, that I have become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Ergo inimicus vobis factus sum, verum dicens vobis?
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.
Æmulantur vos non bene: sed excludere vos volunt, ut illos æmulemini.
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 –
Bonum autem æmulamini in bono semper: et non tantum cum præsens sum apud vos.
19 you for whom I am again enduring a mother’s pains, until a likeness to Christ will have been formed in you.
Filioli mei, quos iterum parturio, donec formetur Christus in vobis:
20 But I could wish to be with you now and speak in a different tone, for I am perplexed about you.
vellem autem esse apud vos modo, et mutare vocem meam: quoniam confundor in vobis.
21 Tell me, you who want to be still subject to Law – Why don’t you listen to the Law?
Dicite mihi qui sub lege vultis esse: legem non legistis?
22 Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one the child of the slave-woman and the other the child of the free woman.
Scriptum est enim: Quoniam Abraham duos filios habuit: unum de ancilla, et unum de libera.
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.
Sed qui de ancilla, secundum carnem natus est: qui autem de libera, per repromissionem:
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.
quæ sunt per allegoriam dicta. Hæc enim sunt duo testamenta. Unum quidem in monte Sina, in servitutem generans, quæ est Agar:
25 Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, and represents the Jerusalem of today, for she and her children are in slavery.
Sina enim mons est in Arabia, qui conjunctus est ei quæ nunc est Jerusalem, et servit cum filiis suis.
26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she it is who is our mother.
Illa autem, quæ sursum est Jerusalem, libera est, quæ est mater nostra.
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.”
Scriptum est enim: [Lætare, sterilis, quæ non paris; erumpe et clama, quæ non parturis: quia multi filii desertæ, magis quam ejus quæ habet virum.]
28 As for ourselves, friends, we, like Isaac, are children born in fulfilment of a promise.
Nos autem, fratres, secundum Isaac promissionis filii sumus.
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.
Sed quomodo tunc is, qui secundum carnem natus fuerat, persequebatur eum qui secundum spiritum: ita et nunc.
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.”
Sed quid dicit Scriptura? Ejice ancillam, et filium ejus: non enim hæres erit filius ancillæ cum filio liberæ.
31 And so, friends, we are not children of a slave, but of her who is free.
Itaque, fratres, non sumus ancillæ filii, sed liberæ: qua libertate Christus nos liberavit.
