Galatians 4 NIV NLT Parallel

◄ Galatians 4 ►

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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.

1Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had.

2The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.

2They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set.

3So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.

3And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

4But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

4But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

5God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

6Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."

6And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

7So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

7Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

8Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist.

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?

9So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?

10You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

10You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years.

11I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

11I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.

12I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.

12Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws. You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you.

13As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you,

13Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News.

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.

14But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself.

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.

15Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible.

16Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

16Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

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.

17Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them.

18It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.

18If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.

19My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

19Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.

20how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

20I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you. Abraham’s Two Children

21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

21Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says?

22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.

22The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife.

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.

23The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.

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.

24These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them.

25Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.

25And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law.

26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

26But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother.

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."

27As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!”

28Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.

28And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac.

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.

29But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.

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."

30But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”

31Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

31So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.

New International Version (NIV)

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