Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything.

But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

He is subject to guardians and trustees until the date set by his father.

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

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

To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

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

But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

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

I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

I fear for you, that my efforts for you may have been in vain.

Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

I beg you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.

Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

You know that it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.

And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

And although my illness was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself.

Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

What then has become of your blessing? For I can testify that, if it were possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

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

They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.

But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

Nevertheless, it is good to be zealous if it serves a noble purpose—at any time, and not only when I am with you.

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

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

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

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

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

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

But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.

Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar.

For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

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

But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

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

For 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 which hath an husband.

For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

At that time, however, the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit. It is the same now.

Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.

But what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”

So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

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