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¹ Now I say the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;² But is under tutors and stewards, till the time appointed by the father.³ So we also, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son,⁵ made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.⁶ And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.⁷ Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

⁸ Indeed then, when ye knew not God, ye served them that by nature are not gods.⁹ But now having known God, or rather being known of God, how turn ye back to the weak and beggarly elements, to which ye desire to be in bondage again?¹⁰ Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have laboured upon you in vain.¹¹ Brethren, I beseech you, be ye as I am; for I also am as ye were: ye have not injured me at all.

¹² Ye know how though infirmity of the flesh, I preached the gospel to you at first.¹³ And ye did not slight or disdain my temptation which was in the flesh, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.¹⁴ Where is then the blessedness ye spake of?¹⁵ For I bear you witness, that, if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and have given them to me.¹⁶ Am I become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷ They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.¹⁸ Now it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only while I am present with you.

¹⁹ My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, till Christ be formed in you,²⁰ I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

²¹ Tell me, ye that would be under the law, do ye not hear the law?²² For it is written, Abraham had two sons, one by the bond-woman, another by the free-woman.²³ And he of the bond-woman was born after the flesh, but he of the free-woman by promise.²⁴ Which things are an allegory; for these are the two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Agar.²⁵ For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children.²⁶ But Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.²⁷ (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 that hath an husband.²⁸ Now we, brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.²⁹ But as then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so it is now also.³⁰ But what saith the scripture? Cast out the bond-woman and her son; for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman.³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free.