International Standard Version

King James Bible

1Now what I am saying is this: As long as an heir is a child, he is no better off than a slave, even though he owns everything.

1Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

2Instead, he is placed under the care of guardians and servant managers until the time set by the father.

2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

3It was the same way with us. While we were children, we were slaves to the basic principles of the world.

3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

4But when the appropriate time had come, God sent his Son, born by a woman, born under the Law,

4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5in order to redeem those who were under the Law, and thus to adopt them as his children.

5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6Now because you are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to cry out, "Abba! Father!"

6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if you are a child, then you are also an heir because of what God did.

7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

8However, in the past, when you did not know God, you were slaves to things that are not really gods at all.

8Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

9But now that you know God, or rather have been known by God, how can you turn back again to those powerless and bankrupt basic principles? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again?

9But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

10You are observing days, months, seasons, and years.

10Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

11I am afraid for you! I don't want my work for you to have been wasted!

11I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

12I beg you, brothers, to become like me, since I became like you. You did not do anything wrong to me.

12Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

13You know that it was because I was ill that I brought you the gospel the first time.

13Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

14Even though my condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. On the contrary, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, or as if I were the Messiah Jesus.

14And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

15What, then, happened to your positive attitude? For I testify that if it had been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

15Where 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.

16So have I now become your enemy for telling you the truth?

16Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

17These people who have been instructing you are devoted to you, but not in a good way. They want you to avoid me so that you will be devoted to them.

17They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

18(Now it is always good to be devoted to a good cause, even when I am not with you.)

18But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

19My children, I am suffering birth pains for you again until the Messiah is formed in you.

19My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

20Indeed, I wish I were with you right now so that I could change the tone of my voice, because I am completely baffled by you!

20I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

21Tell me, those of you who want to live under the Law: Are you really listening to what the Law says?

21Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman.

22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23Now the slave woman's son was conceived through human means, while the free woman's son was conceived through divine promise.

23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

24This is being said as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. The one woman, Hagar, is from Mount Sinai, and her children are born into slavery.

24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

25Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery along with her children.

25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26But the heavenly Jerusalem is the free woman, and she is our spiritual mother.

26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27For it is written, "Rejoice, you childless woman, who cannot give birth to any children! Break into song and shout, you who feel no pains of childbirth! For the children of the deserted woman are more numerous than the children of the woman who has a husband."

27For 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.

28So you, brothers, are children of the promise, like Isaac.

28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29But just as then the son who was conceived according to the flesh persecuted the son who was conceived according to the Spirit, so it is now.

29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

30But what does the Scripture say? "Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman must never share the inheritance with the son of the free woman."

30Nevertheless 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.

31So then, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.

31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.