‏ Galatians 4

1Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he is lord of all; 2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father. 3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 8However then, when ye knew not God, ye did service to them which by nature are no gods. 9But now, after ye have known God, or rather are known by God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which ye desire again to be in bondage? 10Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. 12Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I [am] as ye [are]: ye have not injured me at all. 13Ye know that in infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, [even] as Christ Jesus. 15What then was the blessedness ye spoke of; for I bear you testimony, that, if [it had been] possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. 16Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? 17They zealously affect you, [but] not well; for, they would exclude you, that ye may affect them. 18But [it is] good to be zealously affected always in [a] good [thing], and not only when I am present with you. 19My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you, 20I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. 21Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman. 23But he [who was] of the bond-woman, was born according to the flesh; but he of the free-woman [was] by promise. 24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27For 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 who hath a husband. 28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29But as then he that was born according to the flesh persecuted him [that was born] according to the Spirit, even so [it is] now. 30Nevertheless, what saith the scripture? Cast out the bond-woman and her son: for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman. 31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free.
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