Galatians 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Galatians 4 ▼
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1 Think 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. 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 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. 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 And 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. 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 right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to 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 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own 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 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call 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 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. 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 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 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 So 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? 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 trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. You observe days and months and seasons and years! You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
11 I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. 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 Dear 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. 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 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 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 But 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. 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 Where 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. 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 Have I now become your enemy because I am 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 Those 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. 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 If 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. 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 Oh, 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. 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 I 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. 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, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually 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 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 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 The 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. 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 These 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. 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 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 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 other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our 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 As 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!” 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 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 But 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. 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 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.” 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, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children 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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