Galatians 4
Wycliffe's Bible
1But I say, as long (a) time as the heir is a little child, he diverseth nothing from a servant, when he is (the) lord of all things [when he is lord of all] (even though he is the lord of all); 2but he is under keepers and tutors, into the time determined of the father (until the time determined by his father). 3So we, when we were little children, we served under the elements of the world. 4But after that the fulfilling of time came, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5that he should again-buy them that were under the law, that we should receive the adoption of sons. (so that he would redeem those who were under the Law, so that we could receive adoption as sons.) 6And for ye be God's sons, God sent his Spirit into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. [Forsooth for ye be the sons of God, God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, that is, father.] 7And so there is not now a servant, but a son; and if he is a son, he is an heir by God.

8But then ye not knowing God, served to them that in kind were not gods. (But when ye did not know God, ye served those who by their very nature were not gods.) 9But now when ye have known God, and be known of God, how be ye turned again to the feeble, (or to the sick), and needy elements, to the which ye will again serve? (But now when ye have known God, and ye be known by God, how can ye return to those things which be weak, and frail, and lacking elements, yet which ye will serve again?) 10Ye take keep to days [Ye keep, or wait (upon), days] (Ye care about special days), and months, and times, and years. 11But I dread you, lest without cause, I have travailed among you [lest peradventure I have travailed in you without cause]. (But you make me fear, that I have laboured among you, for no good reason/for no good purpose, or without any good result.)

12Be ye as I, for I am as ye. Brethren, I beseech you, ye have hurt me nothing [Brethren, I beseech you, ye have nothing hurt me]. 13But ye know, that by, (or with), (an) infirmity of (the) flesh I have preached to you, (or I have evangelized to you), now before; 14and ye despised not, neither forsook your temptation in my flesh, but ye received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus (like the Messiah Jesus himself). 15Where then is your blessing? [Where is therefore your blessedness, that ye had before time?] For I bear you witness (For I testify about you), that if it might have been done, ye would have put out your eyes, and have given them to me. 16Am I then made an enemy to you, saying to you the sooth? (Am I then made your enemy, by telling you the truth?) 17They love not you well [They love you not well], but they will exclude you, that ye (pur)sue them (so that ye follow them). 18But (pur)sue ye the good (for)evermore in good (But instead, always follow, or go after, the good, simply because it is good), and not only when I am present with you. 19My small children, which I bear again, till that Christ be formed in you, [My little sons, whom I child, or I bring forth by travail, again, till Christ be formed in you,] (My young children, whom I bring forth through travail, or with great labour, until the Messiah is formed within you,) 20and I would now be at you, and change my voice, for I am confounded among you. (I wish that I could be with you, and change my voice, for I am confused about you.)

21Say to me, ye that will be under the law, have ye not read the law? 22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one of a servant, (or of a handmaiden), and one of a free woman, (or of a wife). 23But he that was of the servant, (or of the handmaiden), was born after the flesh; but he that was of the free woman, (or of the wife), by a promise. 24The which things be said by another understanding. For these be two testaments (For they be two covenants); one in the hill of Sinai, (en)gendering into servage (begetting into servitude, or into slavery), which is Agar. [+Which things be said by allegory. For why these things be two testaments; soothly the one in the mount Sinai, (en)gendering into servage, that is Agar.] 25For Sinai is an hill that is in Arabia, which hill is joined to it that is now Jerusalem, and serveth with her children. 26But that Jerusalem that is above, is free, which is our mother.

27For it is written, Be glad, thou barren, that bearest not; break out and cry, [thou] that bringest forth no children; for many sons be of her that is left of her husband, more than of her that hath an husband (for there shall be more sons of her who was deserted by her husband, than of her who hath a husband).

28For, brethren, we be [the] sons of (the) promise after Isaac; 29but now as this that was born after the flesh pursued him that was after the Spirit, so now. (but just as he who was born after the flesh persecuted him who was born after the Spirit, so it is also today.)

30But what saith the scripture? Cast out the servant, (or the handmaiden), and her son, for the son of the servant shall not be heir with the son of the free wife.

31And so, brethren, we be not sons of the servant, (or of the handmaiden), but of the free wife, by which freedom, (or liberty), Christ hath made us free. (And so brothers, we be not the sons of the handmaiden, but the sons of the free wife, by which freedom the Messiah hath made us free.)

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

Bible Hub
Galatians 3
Top of Page
Top of Page