Galatians 4:21-5:12

New International Version

Hagar and Sarah

²¹Tell me, you who want to be under the law,^(A) are you not aware of what the law says? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman^(B) and the other by the free woman.^(C) ²³His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,^(D) but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.^(E)

²⁴These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. ²⁵Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶But the Jerusalem that is above^(F) is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”^[a]^(G)

²⁸Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.^(H) ²⁹At that time the son born according to the flesh^(I) persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit.^(J) It is the same now. ³⁰But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”^[b]^(K) ³¹Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,^(L) but of the free woman.^(M)

Freedom in Christ

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.^(N) Stand firm,^(O) then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.^(P)

²Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,^(Q) Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.^(R) ⁴You who are trying to be justified by the law^(S) have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.^(T) ⁵For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.^(U) ⁶For in Christ Jesus^(V) neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.^(W) The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.^(X)

⁷You were running a good race.^(Y) Who cut in on you^(Z) to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.^(AA) ⁹“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”^(AB) ¹⁰I am confident^(AC) in the Lord that you will take no other view.^(AD) The one who is throwing you into confusion,^(AE) whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. ¹¹Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?^(AF) In that case the offense^(AG) of the cross has been abolished. ¹²As for those agitators,^(AH) I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!