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1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
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2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
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3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
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4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
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5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
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6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
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7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
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8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
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9 But 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?
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10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
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11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
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12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
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13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
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14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
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15 Where 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.
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16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
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17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
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18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
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19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
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20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
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21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
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22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
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23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
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24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
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25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
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26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
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27 For 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.
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28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
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29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
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30 Nevertheless 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.
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31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
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- 1 Now 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,
- 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.
- 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.
- 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
- 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
- 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
- 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
- 8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.
- 9 But 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?
- 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.
- 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.
- 12 I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;
- 13 but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time;
- 14 and 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.
- 15 Where 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.
- 16 So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
- 17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.
- 18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you.
- 19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—
- 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
- 21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?
- 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.
- 23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.
- 24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.
- 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
- 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.
- 27 For 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.”
- 28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.
- 29 But 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.
- 30 But 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.”
- 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.
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