Galatians 4 - Easy To Read Version

¹ I want to tell you this: While the heir {\cf2\super [47]} is still a child, he is no different from a slave. It doesn’t matter that the heir owns everything. Why?

² Because while he is a child, he must obey the people who are chosen to care for him. But when the child reaches the age his father set, he is free.

³ It is the same for us. We were once like children. We were slaves to the useless rules of this world.

⁴ But when the right time came, God sent his Son. God’s Son was born from a woman. God’s Son lived under the law. {\cf2\super [48]}

⁵ God did this so that he could buy the freedom of the people who were under the law. God’s purpose was to make us his children.

⁶ You are God’s children. That is why God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. The Spirit {\cf2\super [49]} cries out, “Abba, {\cf2\super [50]} Father.”

⁷ So now you are not a slave like before. You are God’s child. God will give you the things he promised, because you are his child.

⁸ In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real.

^9-11 But now you know the true God. Really, it is God who knows you. So why do you turn back to those weak and useless rules you followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again?

¹² Brothers and sisters, I was like you; so please become like me. You were very good to me before.

¹³ You remember why I came to you the first time. It was because I was sick. That was when I told the Good News {\cf2\super [51]} to you.

¹⁴ My sickness was a burden to you. But you did not show hate for me. You did not make me leave. You welcomed me like I was an angel from God. You accepted me like I was Jesus Christ himself!

¹⁵ You were very happy then. Where is that joy now? I remember that \{you wanted to do anything possible to help me\}. You would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if that were possible.

¹⁶ Now am I your enemy because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷ Those people {\cf2\super [52]} are working hard to persuade you. But this is not good for you. Those people want to persuade you to turn against us. They want you to follow only them and no other people.

¹⁸ It is good for people to show interest in you, but only if their purpose is good. This is always true. It is true when I am with you and when I am away.

¹⁹ My little children, again I feel pain for you like a mother feels when she gives birth. I will feel this until you truly become like Christ.

²⁰ I wish I could be with you now. Then maybe I could change the way I am talking to you. Now I don’t know what to do about you.

²¹ Some of you people still want to be under the law \{of Moses\}. Tell me, do you know what the law says?

²² The Scriptures {\cf2\super [53]} say that Abraham {\cf2\super [54]} had two sons. The mother of one son was a slave woman. The mother of the other son was a free woman.

²³ Abraham’s son from the slave woman was born in the normal human way. But the son from the free woman was born because of the promise \{God made to Abraham\}.

²⁴ This true story makes a picture for us. The two women are like the two agreements (covenants) between God and his people. One agreement is \{the law that God made\} on Mount Sinai. {\cf2\super [55]} The people who are under this agreement are like slaves. The mother named Hagar is like that agreement.

²⁵ So Hagar is like Mount Sinai in Arabia. She is a picture of the earthly \{Jewish\} city of Jerusalem. This city is a slave, and all its people (the Jews) are slaves \{to the law\}.

²⁶ But the heavenly Jerusalem that is above is like the free woman. This is our mother.

²⁷ The Scriptures {\cf2\super [56]} say,

²⁸ Now, in Christ, there is no difference between Jew and Greek (non-Jew). There is no difference between slaves and free people. There is no difference between male and female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus.

²⁹ You belong to Christ. So you are Abraham’s {\cf2\super [45]} descendants. {\cf2\super [46]} You get all of God’s blessings because of the promise \{that God made to Abraham\}.

³⁰ But what do the Scriptures {\cf2\super [60]} say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son! The son of the free woman will receive everything his father has. But the son of the slave woman will receive nothing.” {\cf2\super [61]}

³¹ So, my brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman. We are children of the free woman.