41 And I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differeth nothing from a servant—being lord of all, 2 but is under tutors and stewards till the time appointed of the father, 3 so also we, when we were babes, under the elements of the world were in servitude, 4 and when the fulness of time did come, God sent forth His Son, come of a woman, come under law, 5 that those under law he may redeem, that the adoption of sons we may receive; 6 and because ye are sons, God did send forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, 'Abba, Father!' 7 so that thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.

Warning against Returning to Bondage

8 But then, indeed, not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods, 9 and now, having known God—and rather being known by God—how turn ye again unto the weak and poor elements to which anew ye desire to be in servitude? 10 days ye observe, and months, and times, and years! 11 I am afraid of you, lest in vain I did labour toward you.

12 Become as I 'am'—because I also 'am' as ye brethren, I beseech you; to me ye did no hurt, 13 and ye have known that through infirmity of the flesh I did proclaim good news to you at the first, 14 and my trial that 'is' in my flesh ye did not despise nor reject, but as a messenger of God ye did receive me—as Christ Jesus; 15 what then was your happiness? for I testify to you, that if possible, your eyes having plucked out, ye would have given to me; 16 so that your enemy have I become, being true to you?

17 they are zealous for you—'yet' not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may be zealous; 18 and 'it is' good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you;

19 my little children, of whom again I travail in birth, till Christ may be formed in you, 20 and I was wishing to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about you.

The Allegory of Hagar and Sarah

21 Tell me, ye who are willing to be under law, the law do ye not hear? 22 for it hath been written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the maid-servant, and one by the free-woman, 23 but he who 'is' of the maid-servant, according to flesh hath been, and he who 'is' of the free-woman, through the promise; 24 which things are allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from mount Sinai, to servitude bringing forth, which is Hagar; 25 for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and doth correspond to the Jerusalem that now 'is', and is in servitude with her children, 26 and the Jerusalem above is the free-woman, which is mother of us all, 27 for it hath been written, 'Rejoice, O barren, who art not bearing; break forth and cry, thou who art not travailing, because many 'are' the children of the desolate—more than of her having the husband.' 28 And we, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise, 29 but as then he who was born according to the flesh did persecute him according to the spirit, so also now; 30 but what saith the Writing? 'Cast forth the maid-servant and her son, for the son of the maid-servant may not be heir with the son of the free-woman;' 31 then, brethren, we are not a maid-servant's children, but the free-woman's.

The Spirit Received through Faith

31 O thoughtless Galatians, who did bewitch you, not to obey the truth—before whose eyes Jesus Christ was described before among you crucified? 2 this only do I wish to learn from you—by works of law the Spirit did ye receive, or by the hearing of faith? 3 so thoughtless are ye! having begun in the Spirit, now in the flesh do ye end? 4 so many things did ye suffer in vain! if, indeed, even in vain. 5 He, therefore, who is supplying to you the Spirit, and working mighty acts among you—by works of law or by the hearing of faith 'is it'?

God's Covenant with Abraham

6 according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him—to righteousness; 7 know ye, then, that those of faith—these are sons of Abraham, 8 and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham— 9 'Blessed in thee shall be all the nations;' so that those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham, 10 for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed 'is' every one who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Book of the Law—to do them,' 11 and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because 'The righteous by faith shall live;' 12 and the law is not by faith, but—'The man who did them shall live in them.' 13 Christ did redeem us from the curse of the law, having become for us a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is hanging on a tree,' 14 that to the nations the blessing of Abraham may come in Christ Jesus, that the promise of the Spirit we may receive through the faith. 15 Brethren, as a man I say 'it', even of man a confirmed covenant no one doth make void or doth add to, 16 and to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed; He doth not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to thy seed,' which is Christ; 17 and this I say, A covenant confirmed before by God to Christ, the law, that came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not set aside, to make void the promise, 18 for if by law 'be' the inheritance, 'it is' no more by promise, but to Abraham through promise did God grant 'it'.

The Purpose of the Law

19 Why, then, the law? on account of the transgressions it was added, till the seed might come to which the promise hath been made, having been set in order through messengers in the hand of a mediator— 20 and the mediator is not of one, and God is one— 21 the law, then, 'is' against the promises of God?—let it not be! for if a law was given that was able to make alive, truly by law there would have been the righteousness, 22 but the Writing did shut up the whole under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ may be given to those believing. 23 And before the coming of the faith, under law we were being kept, shut up to the faith about to be revealed, 24 so that the law became our child-conductor—to Christ, that by faith we may be declared righteous, 25 and the faith having come, no more under a child-conductor are we, 26 for ye are all sons of God through the faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for as many as to Christ were baptized did put on Christ; 28 there is not here Jew or Greek, there is not here servant nor freeman, there is not here male and female, for all ye are one in Christ Jesus; 29 and if ye 'are' of Christ then of Abraham ye are seed, and according to promise—heirs.