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¹ NOW this I say, That the heir as long as he is young, cannot be distinguished from the servants, though he is the lord of them all.² But he is under guardians and stewards, until the time appointed by his father.³ Even so we, when we were young, were subject to the principles of this world:⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son who, born of a woman, became subject to the law,⁵ To redeem them who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying, Abba, Avon, O Father, our Father.⁷ From now on you are not servants but sons; and if sons, then heirs of God through Jesus Christ.

⁸ Howbeit then, when you did not know God, you served those things which from their nature were not gods.⁹ But now after you have known God, and, above all, are known of God, you turn again to those weak and poor principles, and you wish again to come under their bondage.¹⁰ You still observe days and months and times and years.¹¹ I am afraid that perhaps I have labored among you in vain.

¹² My brethren, I beseech you, put yourself in my place; just as once I put myself in your place: You have not offended me at all.¹³ You know that I was sick and weak when I preached the gospel to you at the first.¹⁴ And yet you did not despise me, nor reject me on account of my weakness; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Jesus Christ.¹⁵ Where is then the blessedness you had? for I can testify concerning you, that if it had been possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me.¹⁶ Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷ These men do not envy you for good, but they would dominate you, so that you might envy them.¹⁸ But it is good that you should always envy after good things, and not only when I am present with you.

¹⁹ My little children, for whom I am in travail again, until Christ be a reality in you,²⁰ I wish I could be with you now, and could change the tone of my voice; because I am deeply concerned about you.

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?²² For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by a bondmaid, and one by a freewoman.²³ But he who was born of the bondmaid was born after the flesh; but he who was born of the freewoman was born by promise.²⁴ Now these things are a symbol of the two covenants; the one from Mount Sinai, give girls birth to bondage, which is Hagar.²⁵ For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and surrenders to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.²⁶ But the Jerusalem which is above is free, and is the mother of us all.²⁷ For as it is written, Make merry, O you barren who bear not; rejoice and cry, O you who travail not; for the children of the forsaken are more numerous than the children of the one who is favored.²⁸ Now we, my brethren, are the children of promise, as was Isaac.²⁹ But as then he who was born after the flesh persecuted him who was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.³⁰ Nevertheless what does the scripture say? Cast out the bondmaid and her son; for the son of the maidservant shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman.³¹ So then, my brethren, we are not children of the maidservant but children of the freewoman.