1And I say, now as much time as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a servant, [though] being lord of all, 2but is under tutors and stewards until the time appointed of the father, 3so we also, when we were children, were in servitude under the elements of the world, 4and when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, come of a woman, come under law, 5that He may redeem those under law, that we may receive the adoption as sons; 6and because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7So that you are no longer a servant, but a son, and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.

8But then, indeed, having not known God, you were in servitude to those [that are] not by nature gods, 9and now, having known God—and rather being known by God—how [do] you turn again to the weak and poor elements to which you desire anew to be in servitude? 10You observe days, and months, and times, and years! 11I am afraid for you, lest I labored in vain for you.

12I implore you, brothers, become as I [am]—because I also [am] as you; you did not hurt me; 13and you have known that through weakness of the flesh I proclaimed good news to you at the first, 14and you did not despise nor reject my trial that [is] in my flesh, but you received me as a messenger of God—as Christ Jesus; 15what then was your blessedness? For I testify to you, that if possible, having plucked out your eyes, you would have given [them] to me; 16so have I become your enemy, being true to you? 17They are zealous for you—[yet] not well, but they wish to shut us out, that you may be zealous for them; 18and [it is] good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you; 19my little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ may be formed in you, 20indeed I was wishing to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about you.

21Tell me, you who are willing to be under law, do you not hear the Law? 22For it has been written that Abraham had two sons, one by the maidservant and one by the free [woman], 23but he who [is] of the maidservant has been according to flesh, but he who [is] of the free [woman], through the promise, 24which things are allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from Mount Sinai, bringing forth to servitude, which is Hagar; 25for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the Jerusalem that now [is], and is in servitude with her children, 26and the Jerusalem above is the free [woman], which is mother of us all,

27for it has been written: “Rejoice, O barren, who is not bearing; break forth and cry, you who are not travailing, because many [are] the children of the desolate—more than of her having the husband.”

28And we, brothers, as Isaac, are children of promise, 29but as he then who was born according to the flesh persecuted him [born] according to the Spirit, so also now;

30but what does the Writing say? “Cast forth the maidservant and her son, for the son of the maidservant may not be heir with the son of the free [woman]”;

31then, brothers, we are not a maidservant’s children, but the free [woman’s].