Chapter 4

¹Now I say, As long as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a bondman, though he be lord of all; ²but he is under guardians and stewards until the period fixed by the father. ³So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the principles of the world; ⁴but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, come of woman, come under law, ⁵that he might redeem those under law, that we might receive sonship. ⁶But because ye are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. ⁷So thou art no longer bondman, but son; but if son, heir also through God. ⁸But then indeed, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods; ⁹but now, knowing God, but rather being known by God, how do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly principles to which ye desire to be again anew in bondage? ¹⁰Ye observe days and months and times and years. ¹¹I am afraid of you, lest indeed I have laboured in vain as to you. ¹²Be as I [am], for I also [am] as ye, brethren, I beseech you: ye have not at all wronged me. ¹³But ye know that in weakness of the flesh I announced the glad tidings to you at the first; ¹⁴and my temptation, which [was] in my flesh, ye did not slight nor reject with contempt; but ye received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵What then [was] your blessedness? for I bear you witness that, if possible, plucking out your own eyes ye would have given [them] to me. ¹⁶So I have become your enemy in speaking the truth to you? ¹⁷They are not rightly zealous after you, but desire to shut you out [from us], that ye may be zealous after them. ¹⁸But [it is] right to be zealous at all times in what is right, and not only when I am present with you -- ¹⁹my children, of whom I again travail in birth until Christ shall have been formed in you: ²⁰and I should wish to be present with you now, and change my voice, for I am perplexed as to you. ²¹Tell me, ye who are desirous of being under law, do ye not listen to the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons; one of the maid servant, and one of the free woman. ²³But he [that was] of the maid servant was born according to flesh, and he [that was] of the free woman through the promise. ²⁴Which things have an allegorical sense; for these are two covenants: one from mount Sinai, gendering to bondage, which is Hagar. ²⁵For Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which [is] now, for she is in bondage with her children; ²⁶but the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother. ²⁷For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break out and cry, thou that travailest not; because the children of the desolate are more numerous than [those] of her that has a husband. ²⁸But ye, brethren, after the pattern of Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹But as then he that was born according to flesh persecuted him [that was born] according to Spirit, so also [it is] now. ³⁰But what says the scripture? Cast out the maid servant and her son; for the son of the maid servant shall not inherit with the son of the free woman. ³¹So then, brethren, we are not maid servant`s children, but [children] of the free woman.