Galatians 4 ISV NIV Parallel

◄ Galatians 4 ►

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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.

1What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.

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

2The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.

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

3So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces 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 set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

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

5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

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

6Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "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.

7So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

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

8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not 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 that you know God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

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

10You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

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

11I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

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

12I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.

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

13As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you,

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 even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

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, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

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

16Have I now become your enemy by telling 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.

17Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.

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

18It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.

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

19My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is 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!

20how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

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

21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

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, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.

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

23His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine 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.

24These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.

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

25Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.

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

26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

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: "Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."

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

28Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are 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.

29At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same 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."

30But what does Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son."

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

31Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

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