Galatians 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Galatians 4 ▼
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1 Now what I am saying is this: As long as an heir is a child, he is no better off than a slave, even though he owns everything. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, What 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.
2 Instead, he is placed under the care of guardians and servant managers until the time set by the father. but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.
3 It was the same way with us. While we were children, we were slaves to the basic principles of the world. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.
4 But when the appropriate time had come, God sent his Son, born by a woman, born under the Law, But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 in order to redeem those who were under the Law, and thus to adopt them as his children. to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
6 Now because you are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to cry out, |Abba! Father!| And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if you are a child, then you are also an heir because of what God did. So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
8 However, in the past, when you did not know God, you were slaves to things that are not really gods at all. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
9 But now that you know God, or rather have been known by God, how can you turn back again to those powerless and bankrupt basic principles? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again? But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? But 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?
10 You are observing days, months, seasons, and years. You observe days and months and seasons and years! You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
11 I am afraid for you! I don't want my work for you to have been wasted! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
12 I beg you, brothers, to become like me, since I became like you. You did not do anything wrong to me. Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.
13 You know that it was because I was ill that I brought you the gospel the first time. You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you,
14 Even though my condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. On the contrary, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, or as if I were the Messiah Jesus. and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. and 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.
15 What, then, happened to your positive attitude? For I testify that if it had been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. Where, 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.
16 So have I now become your enemy for telling you the truth? Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 These people who have been instructing you are devoted to you, but not in a good way. They want you to avoid me so that you will be devoted to them. They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. Those 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.
18 (Now it is always good to be devoted to a good cause, even when I am not with you.) It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.
19 My children, I am suffering birth pains for you again until the Messiah is formed in you. my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
20 Indeed, I wish I were with you right now so that I could change the tone of my voice, because I am completely baffled by you! I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
21 Tell me, those of you who want to live under the Law: Are you really listening to what the Law says? Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman. For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
23 Now the slave woman's son was conceived through human means, while the free woman's son was conceived through divine promise. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. His 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.
24 This is being said as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. The one woman, Hagar, is from Mount Sinai, and her children are born into slavery. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. These 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.
25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery along with her children. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
26 But the heavenly Jerusalem is the free woman, and she is our spiritual mother. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
27 For it is written, |Rejoice, you childless woman, who cannot give birth to any children! Break into song and shout, you who feel no pains of childbirth! For the children of the deserted woman are more numerous than the children of the woman who has a husband.| For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.” For 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.”
28 So you, brothers, are children of the promise, like Isaac. Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 But just as then the son who was conceived according to the flesh persecuted the son who was conceived according to the Spirit, so it is now. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.
30 But what does the Scripture say? |Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman must never share the inheritance with the son of the free woman.| But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” But 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.”
31 So then, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman. So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
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