1 ^3:1O FOOLISH Galatians, who has fascinated you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been set forth among you crucified? ^3:2This only would I learn of you. Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by a hearing of faith? ^3:3Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit do you now end in the flesh? ^3:4Have you suffered so much in vain? if indeed also it is in vain. ^3:5He then that imparts to you the Spirit, and exercises miraculous powers among you, does he do it by works of the law, or by the doctrine of faith? ^3:6As Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him a righteousness.

2 ^3:7Know, therefore, that those of faith, these are children of Abraham. ^3:8And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, promised before to Abraham, In you shall all the nations be blessed. ^3:9Those of faith, therefore, are blessed with believing Abraham. ^3:10For as many as are of works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. ^3:11And it is evident that no one is justified by the law before God, because the just shall live by faith, ^3:12but the law is not of faith, but he that does these things shall live by them. ^3:13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree, ^3:14that the blessing of Abraham may come on the nations, in Christ Jesus, that we may receive the promise of the Spirit through the faith.

3 ^3:15Brothers, I speak according to man. But no one abolishes a man's covenant when it is established, or makes additions to it. ^3:16The promises were spoken to Abraham and his offspring. He said not, And to offsprings, as of many, but as of one, And to your offspring, which is Christ. ^3:17And this I say; that the law which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot abrogate the covenant previously established by God, to make the promise of no effect. ^3:18For if the inheritance is by the law, it is no longer by the promise. But God gave it to Abraham by the promise. ^3:19What then? The law was added on account of transgressions, till the offspring should come to which the promise was made, being appointed by angels by the hand of a mediator. ^3:20But there is no mediator of one; but God is one.

4 ^3:21Is the law then against the promises of God? By no means. For if a law had been given, able to give life, righteousness would really have been by the law; ^3:22but the Scripture has shut up all under sin, that the promise of the faith of Jesus Christ may be given to them that believe. ^3:23But before the faith came, we were kept shut up under the law for the faith to be revealed. ^3:24So that the law was our schoolmaster to lead to Christ, that we might be justified by faith; ^3:25but the faith having come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. ^3:26For you are all children of God by the faith in Jesus Christ; ^3:27for as many of you as are baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. ^3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither servant nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ^3:29And if you are of Christ, then are you Abraham's children and heirs according to the promise.

5 ^4:1But I say, that as long as the heir is a child, he differs not from a servant, though he is lord of all, ^4:2but is under tutors and stewards till the time appointed by the father. ^4:3So also we, when we were children, were in servitude under the rudiments of the world; ^4:4but when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ^4:5that he might redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. ^4:6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. ^4:7So that you are no longer a servant, but a son; and if a son, also an heir of God.

6 ^4:8But formerly, not knowing God you served beings which are not really Gods; ^4:9but now knowing God, or rather being known by God, how do you turn again to the weak and imperfect rudiments, which you wish again to serve? ^4:10Do you observe days, and months, and times, and years? ^4:11I am afraid of you, lest I have expended labor on you in vain.

7 ^4:12I beseech you, brothers, be as I am, for I am as you [ought to be]. You did not injure me; ^4:13but you knew I preached the gospel to you on my former [visit] in weakness of the flesh, ^4:14and my trial in my flesh you despised not nor rejected, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. ^4:15What then was your blessedness? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have dug out your eyes and have given them to me. ^4:16Have I therefore become your enemy, by telling you the truth? ^4:17They are zealous for you, but not well, but they wish to exclude you that you may be zealous for them. ^4:18It is good to be zealous for a good object always, and not only when I am present with you. ^4:19My little children, with whom I am again in pain till Christ is formed in you, ^4:20I wish to be present with you now and change my voice with you, for I am in doubt of you.

8 ^4:21Tell me, you that wish to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ^4:22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by a servant woman, and the other by a free woman. ^4:23But he by the servant woman was born of the flesh, and he by the free woman, by the promise. ^4:24These things are allegorical, for those [women] are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai, bearing children for servitude, which is Hagar; ^4:25for Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; and the present Jerusalem answers to her, for she is in servitude with her children. ^4:26But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us; ^4:27for it is written, Rejoice, barren woman, that did not bear, break forth and cry, woman that had no pain, for the children of the desolate are more numerous than those of her who had a husband. ^4:28But we, brothers, like Isaac, are children of the promise. ^4:29But as then he that was born of the flesh persecuted him that was born of the Spirit, so also now. ^4:30But what says the Scripture? Cast out the servant-woman and her son; for the son of the servant woman shall not be an heir, with the son of the free. ^4:31Wherefore, brothers, we are not children of the servant woman, but of the free.