| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; | 1Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the owner of everything. |
| 2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. | 2Instead, he is under guardians and stewards until the time set by his father. |
| 3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: | 3In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elemental forces of the world. |
| 4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, | 4When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, |
| 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. | 5to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. |
| 6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. | 6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba, Father!" |
| 7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. | 7So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. |
| 8Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. | 8But in the past, when you didn't know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. |
| 9But 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? | 9But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and bankrupt elemental forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? |
| 10Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. | 10You observe special days, months, seasons, and years. |
| 11I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. | 11I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted. |
| 12Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. | 12I beg you, brothers: Become like me, for I also became like you. You have not wronged me; |
| 13Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. | 13you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a physical illness. |
| 14And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. | 14You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. |
| 15Where 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. | 15What happened to this sense of being blessed you had? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. |
| 16Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? | 16Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? |
| 17They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. | 17They are enthusiastic about you, but not for any good. Instead, they want to isolate you so you will be enthusiastic about them. |
| 18But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. | 18Now it is always good to be enthusiastic about good--and not just when I am with you. |
| 19My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, | 19My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you. |
| 20I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. | 20I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don't know what to do about you. |
| 21Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? | 21Tell me, those of you who want to be under the law, don't you hear the law? |
| 22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. | 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman. |
| 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. | 23But the one by the slave was born according to the impulse of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. |
| 24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. | 24These things are illustrations, for the women represent the two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery--this is Hagar. |
| 25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. | 25Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. |
| 26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. | 26But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. |
| 27For 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. | 27For it is written: Rejoice, childless woman, who does not give birth. Burst into song and shout, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate are many, more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband. |
| 28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. | 28Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. |
| 29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. | 29But just as then the child born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so also now. |
| 30Nevertheless 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 freewoman. | 30But what does the Scripture say? Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman. |
| 31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. | 31Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. |
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