1Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differethnothing from a servant, though he belord of all;
2Butisundertutorsandgovernorsuntil the time appointed of the father.
3Evensowe, whenwewerechildren, were in bondageunder the elements of the world:
4Butwhen the fulnessof the time was come, God sent forthhisSon, madeof a woman, madeunder the law,
5Toredeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6Andbecause ye aresons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of hisSonintoyourhearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; andif a son, then an heir of GodthroughChrist.
8Howbeitthen, when ye knewnotGod, ye did service unto them which by naturearenogods.
9Butnow, after that ye have knownGod, orrather are knownofGod, how turn yeagainto the weakandbeggarlyelements, whereuntoyedesireagainto be in bondage?
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Ye observedays, andmonths, andtimes, andyears.
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I am afraid of you, lest I have bestoweduponyoulabour in vain.
12Brethren, Ibeseechyou, beasI am; forI am asye are: ye have not injuredme at all.
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Ye knowhowthroughinfirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
14Andmytemptation which was inmyflesh ye despisednot, norrejected; butreceivedmeas an angel of God, even asChristJesus.
15Whereisthen the blessednessye spake of? for I bearyourecord, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked outyour own eyes, and have given them to me.
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Am Ithereforebecomeyourenemy, because Itellyou the truth?
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They zealously affectyou, but notwell; yea, they wouldexcludeyou, that ye might affectthem.
18But it is good to be zealously affectedalwaysin a good thing, andnotonlywhenI am presentwithyou.
19My little children, of whom I travail inbirthagainuntilChrist be formedinyou,
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I desire to be presentwithyounow, and to changemyvoice; for I stand in doubtofyou.
21Tellme, ye that desire to beunder the law, do yenothear the law?
22For it is written, thatAbrahamhadtwosons, the oneby a bondmaid, the otherby a freewoman.
23Buthe who was of the bondwoman was bornafter the flesh; butheof the freewoman was bypromise.
24Whichthingsare an allegory: fortheseare the twocovenants; the onefrom the mountSinai, whichgenderethtobondage, whichisAgar.
25For this AgarismountSinaiinArabia, andanswereth to Jerusalemwhich now is, andisinbondagewithherchildren.
26ButJerusalemwhichisaboveisfree, whichis the mother of usall.
27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearestnot; break forthandcry, thou that travailestnot: for the desolatehath many morechildrenthan she which hath an husband.
28Nowwe, brethren, asIsaacwas, are the children of promise.
29Butasthen he that was bornafter the fleshpersecuted him that was bornafter the Spirit, evenso it is now.
30Neverthelesswhatsaith the scripture? Cast out the bondwomanandherson: for the son of the bondwomanshallnot be heirwith the son of the freewoman.
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So then, brethren, we arenotchildren of the bondwoman, but of the free.