¹ But I say:—for as long a time as, the heir, is an infant, he differeth, nothing, from a servant, though, lord of all,

² But is, under guardians, and stewards, until the [day] fore-appointed of the father:

³ So also, we, when we were infants, under the elementary principles of the world, were held in servitude;

⁴ But, when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, who came to be of a woman, who came to be under law,—

⁵ That, them who were under law, he might redeem, that, the sonship, we might duly receive;—

⁶ And, because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, exclaiming, Abba! Oh Father!

⁷ So that, no longer, art thou a servant, but a son; and, if a son, an heir also, through God.

⁸ But, at that time—not knowing God, ye were in servitude unto them who, by nature, are not Gods;

⁹ Whereas, now, having acknowledged God,—or rather, having been acknowledged by God, how turn ye back again unto the weak and beggarly elementary principles, unto which, over again, ye are wishing, to come into servitude?

¹⁰ Days, ye do narrowly observer, and months, and seasons, and years:—

¹¹ I am afraid of you—lest by any means, in vain, I should have toiled for you!

¹² Become ye as, I, because, I also, [was] as, ye,—brethren, I entreat you. Not at all, have ye wronged me.

¹³ Howbeit ye know that, by reason of a weakness of the flesh, I myself announced the glad-message unto you, formerly;

¹⁴ And, your trial, in my flesh, ye despised not, neither spat ye [in disgust], but, as a messenger of God, ye welcomed me—as Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Where, then, is the happiness ye accounted yours? For I bear you witness—that, if possible, your eyes, ye would have dug out, and given unto me.

¹⁶ So then, your enemy, have I become, by dealing truthfully with you?

¹⁷ They shew a zeal for you, not honourably, but wish, to shut you out, in order that ye may be zealous for, them.

¹⁸ Howbeit it is, honourable, to show zeal in what is honourable at all times, and not only when I am present with you;—

¹⁹ My dear children! for whom I, again, am in birth-pains, until Christ be formed within you;—

²⁰ I could wish, however, to be present with you, even now, and to change my voice,—because I am perplexed regarding you.

²¹ Tell me! ye who, under law, are wishing to be: The law, do ye not hear?

²² For it is written, that, Abraham, had two sons—one by the bondmaid, and one by the free woman;

²³ But, he that was of the bondmaid, after the flesh, had been born, whereas, he that was of the free woman, through means of a promise.

²⁴ Which things, indeed, may bear another meaning; for, the same, are two covenants,—one, indeed, from Mount Sinai, into bondage, bringing forth, the which is Hagar,—

²⁵ And, the Hagar, is Mount Sinai, in Arabia,—she answereth, however, unto the present Jerusalem, for she is in bondage with her children;

²⁶ But, the Jerusalem above, is free,—the which is our mother;

²⁷ For it is written—Be gladdened, O barren one! that wast not giving birth, break forth and shout, thou that wast not in birth-pains,—because, more, are the children of the deserted one, than of her that had the husband.

²⁸ And, we, brethren, after the manner of Isaac, are children of a promise.

²⁹ But, just as, then, he that after the manner of the flesh had been born, did persecute him who [had been born] after the manner of the Spirit, thus, also now.

³⁰ But, what saith the scripture? Cast out the serving woman and her son; for in nowise shall the son of the serving woman inherit with the son of the free.

³¹ Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a serving woman, but of the free:—