Galatas 4
1 Dico autem: Quanto tempore heres parvulus est, nihil differt a servo, cum sit dominus omnium:
What I mean is this. As long as the heir is a child, he differs in no respect from a slave, though he be the owner of the whole inheritance;
2 sed sub tutoribus, et actoribus est usque ad praefinitum tempus a patre:
but is under the control of guardians and trustees, until the time appointed by his father.
3 ita et nos cum essemus parvuli, sub elementis mundi eramus servientes.
So we Jews also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the empty externalities of the world.
4 At ubi venit plenitudo temporis, misit Deus Filium suum factum ex muliere, factum sub lege,
But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5 ut eos, qui sub lege erant, redimeret, ut adoptionem filiorum reciperemus.
to redeem from captivity those under law, in order that we might receive our sonship.
6 Quoniam autem estis filii, misit Deus Spiritum filii Dei sui in corda vestra clamantem: Abba, Pater.
And because you are sons, God sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Dear, dear Father!"
7 Itaque iam non est servus, sed filius: Quod si filius: et heres per Deum.
So each one of you is no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir, too, through God’s grace.
8 Sed tunc quidem ignorantes Deum, iis, qui natura non sunt dii, serviebatis.
But once, when you Gentiles had no knowledge of God, you were slaves to gods which have no real being.
9 Nunc autem cum cognoveritis Deum, immo cogniti sitis a Deo: quomodo convertimini iterum ad infirma, et egena elementa, quibus denuo servire vultis?
Now, however, when you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you are beginning to turn back to those weak and beggarly externalities, eager to be in bondage to them again?
10 Dies observatis, et menses, et tempora, et annos.
You are scrupulous, are you, in observing "days" and "months" and "seasons" and "years"?
11 Timeo, ne forte sine causa laboraverim in vobis.
I am alarmed about you for fear lest I may have bestowed labor on you to no purpose.
12 Estote sicut ego, quia et ego sicut vos: fratres obsecro vos. Nihil me laesistis.
Brothers, I beseech you, become as I am, because I also have become as you are. You never did me any wrong;
13 Scitis autem quia per infirmitatem carnis evangelizavi vobis iampridem: et tentationem vestram in carne mea
on the contrary, you know that although it was illness which brought about my preaching the gospel to you at my first visit,
14 non sprevistis, neque respuistis: sed sicut Angelum Dei excepistis me, sicut Christum Iesum.
and although my bodily affliction was a trial to you, you did not scoff at it nor spurn me, but welcomed me like an angel of God, like Christ Jesus himself.
15 Ubi est ergo beatitudo vestra? Testimonium enim perhibeo vobis, quia, si fieri posset, oculos vestros eruissetis, et dedissetis mihi.
Why then did you account yourselves so happy? (For I bear you witness that if you could you would have torn out your own eyes and given them to me.)
16 Ergo inimicus vobis factus sum, verum dicens vobis?
Am I then become your enemy, because I am telling you the truth?
17 Aemulantur vos non bene: sed excludere vos volunt, ut illos aemulemini.
These men are courting your favor to no good purpose. They want to isolate you, so that you will be courting their favor.
18 Bonum autem aemulamini in bono semper: et non tantum cum praesens sum apud vos.
It is always an honorable thing to have your favor sought in an honorable cause, always, and not only when I am with you.
19 Filioli mei, quos iterum parturio, donec formetur Christus in vobis.
O my little children, of whom I travail again in birth until Christ be formed within you!
20 Vellem autem esse apud vos modo, et mutare vocem meam: quoniam confundor in vobis.
How I wish I could be with you now, that I might change my tone; for I am perplexed about you.
21 Dicite mihi qui sub lege vultis esse: legem non legistis?
Tell me, you who wish to be subject to the Law, why do you not listen to the Law?
22 Scriptum est enim: Quoniam Abraham duos filios habuit: unum de ancilla, et unum de libera.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman;
23 Sed qui de ancilla, secundum carnem natus est: qui autem de libera, per repromissionem:
but while the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, the son by the free woman was born in fulfilment of a promise.
24 quae sunt per allegoriam dicta. Haec enim sunt duo testamenta. Unum quidem in monte Sina, in servitutem generans: quae est Agar:
Now all this is an allegory, for these women are the two covenants; one from Mount Sinai, which is Hagar bearing children into bondage
25 Sina enim mons est in Arabia, qui coniunctus est ei, quae nunc est Ierusalem, et servit cum filiis suis.
(for the word Hagar stands for Mt. Sinai in Arabia and represents the present Jerusalem who with her children is in bondage.)
26 Illa autem, quae sursum est Ierusalem, libera est, quae est mater nostra.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
27 Scriptum est enim: Laetare sterilis, quae non paris: erumpe, et clama, quae non parturis: quia multi filii desertae, magis quam eius, quae habet virum.
For it is written, Rejoice, O thou barren one who dost never bear, Break forth in joy, thou that dost not travail; For the children of the desolate woman are many. Yea, more than hers who has a husband.
28 Nos autem fratres secundum Isaac promissionis filii sumus.
But you, brothers, are like Isaac, children of the promise;
29 Sed quomodo tunc is, qui secundum carnem natus fuerat, persequebatur eum, qui secundum spiritum: ita et nunc.
but just as in old times the son born by the flesh used to persecute the son born by the power of the Spirit, so also it is now.
30 Sed quid dicit Scriptura? Eiice ancillam, et filium eius: non heres erit filius ancillae cum filio liberae.
But what does the Scripture say? Send away the slave-woman and her son; for the slave’s son shall not be heir along with the son of the free woman.
31 Itaque, fratres, non sumus ancillae filii, sed liberae: qua libertate Christus nos liberavit.
So, brothers, we are the children of no slave woman, but of free woman. For freedom did not Christ set us free;
