| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of 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. |
| 2but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. | 2The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. |
| 3So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. | 3So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. |
| 4But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of 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, |
| 5so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. | 5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. |
| 6Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" | 6Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." |
| 7Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. | 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 at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. | 8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. |
| 9But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved 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 observe days and months and seasons and years. | 10You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! |
| 11I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. | 11I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. |
| 12I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; | 12I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. |
| 13but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; | 13As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, |
| 14and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. | 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. |
| 15Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked 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 become your enemy by telling you the truth? | 16Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? |
| 17They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek 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. |
| 18But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present 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, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you-- | 19My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, |
| 20but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. | 20how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! |
| 21Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? | 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 the bondwoman and one by the free woman. | 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. |
| 23But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the 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 allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. | 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 this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery 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 Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. | 26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. |
| 27For it is written, "REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE 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." |
| 28And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. | 28Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. |
| 29But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. | 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? "CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR 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, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman. | 31Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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