1 Ziņait: Kamēr mantinieks vēl nav pieaudzis, nav nekādas starpības starp viņu un kalpu, kaut arī visa manta viņam pieder.
2 Bet viņš ir padots aizbildņiem un pārvaldniekiem, līdz tēva nospriestam laikam.
3 Tā arī mēs, kad nebijām pieauguši, bijām pasaules pirmbūtņu kalpībā.
4 Bet kad laiks bija piepildījies, tad Dievs sūtīja savu Dēlu, dzimušu no sievas, noliktu zem bauslības,
5 Lai izpirktu tos, pār kupiem valdīja bauslība, ka mēs iegūtum bērnu tiesības.
6 Bet ka jūs esat bērni, to ir Dievs apliecinājis, sūtīdams sava Dēla garu jūsu sirdīs, kas sauc: Aba—Tēvs!
7 Tā tad tu vairs neesi kalps, bet bērns, bet ja bērns, tad ari caur Dievu mantinieks.
8 Gan toreiz jūs, Dievu nepazīdami, kalpojāt tiem, kas pēc būtības nav dievi.
9 Bet tagad, kad jūs Dievu esat atzinuši, jeb labāki sakot: kad Dievs jūs ir atzinis, kā tad jūs atkal atgriežaties pie nespēcīgajām un nabadzīgajām pirmbūtnēm un tām atkal no jauna gribat kalpot?
10 Jūs cienījat dienas, mēnešus, gadus un laikus.
11 Es bīstos, ka tik nebūtu velti pie jums strādājis.
12 Topiet tādi kā es, jo es tapu tāds kā jūs, es jūs lūdzu, brāļi. Jūs man neesat darijuši nekā ļauna.
13 Bet, kā jums zināms, es pirmo reiz slims būdams sludināju jums evaņģēliju.
14 Un jūsu pārbaudījums, kas jums cēlās ar manu slimību, nenoveda pie nicināšanas nedz riebuma, bet jūs uzņēmāt mani kā Dieva eņģeli, kā Kristu Jēzu.
15 Kur tad nu paliek jūsu svētais prieks? Jo es varu jums apliecināt, ka jūs, ja būtu bijis iespējams, savas acis būtu izrāvuši un man atdevuši.
16 Tā tad es esmu tapis jūsu ienaidnieks, sacīdams jums patiesību.
17 Ne labā nolūkā tie izrāda dedzību pret jums, bet tie grib jūs atšķirt, lai jūs dedzīgi pieķertos viņiem.
18 Teicami ir iekaist par labu vienmēr un ne tikai tad, kad es esmu pie jums.
19 Mani bērni, par kuriem es no jauna ciešu radību sāpes, lidz kamēr Kristus izveidotos jūsos;
20 Bet es gribētu tagad būt pie jums un runāt ar jums citādā balsi, jo man pietrūkst padoma, ko darīt ar jums.
21 Sakiet man, jūs, kas gribat būt zem bauslības, vai jūs esat dzirdējuši, ko bauslība saka?
22 Proti, ir rakstīts: Ābrahāmam piedzima divi dēli, viens no kalpones, otrs no svabadās.
23 Bet tas, kas no kalpones, ir dabīgi dzimis, turpretim tas, kas no svabadās, pēc apsolījuma.
24 Tas ir līdzībā teikts, jo tās ir tās abas derības: viena no Sinaja kalna, kas dzemdē kalpībai, tā ir Hagare.
25 Bet Hagare ir Sinaja kalns Arabijā, un atbilst tagadējai Jeruzālemei, jo tā ar saviem bērniem ir kalpu stāvokli.
26 Bet augšējā Jeruzāleme ir svabada tā ir mūsu māte;
27 Jo ir rakstīts: „Priecājies, neauglīgā, kas nedzemdē, gavilē un sauci skaļi, kas necieti bērnu sāpes, jo daudz bērnu ir vientulei, vairāk nekā tai, kam ir vīrs.“
28 Jūs, brāļi, esat kā Izāks apsolījuma bērni.
29 Bet kā toreiz miesīgi dzimušais vajāja garīgi dzimušo, tā arī tagad.
30 Bet ko saka raksti? „Padzen kalponi un viņas dēlu! Jo kalpones dēlam nebūs mantot kopā ar svabadās dēlu.“
31 Tā tad, brāļi mēs neesam kalpones, bet svabadās bērni.
1 But now to continue—the son who will receive his father's property is treated just like a slave while he is young, even though he really owns everything. 2 While he is young, there are men who take care of him and manage his affairs until the time set by his father. 3 In the same way, we too were slaves of the ruling spirits of the universe before we reached spiritual maturity. 4 But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law, 5 to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God's children.
6 To show that you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who cries out, “Father, my Father.” 7 So then, you are no longer a slave but a child. And since you are his child, God will give you all that he has for his children.
Paul's Concern for the Galatians
8 In the past you did not know God, and so you were slaves of beings who are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or, I should say, now that God knows you—how is it that you want to turn back to those weak and pitiful ruling spirits? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again? 10 You pay special attention to certain days, months, seasons, and years. 11 I am worried about you! Can it be that all my work for you has been for nothing?
12 I beg you, my friends, be like me. After all, I am like you. You have not done me any wrong. 13 You remember why I preached the gospel to you the first time; it was because I was sick. 14 But even though my physical condition was a great trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you received me as you would an angel from heaven; you received me as you would Christ Jesus. 15 You were so happy! What has happened? I myself can say that you would have taken out your own eyes, if you could, and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 Those other people show a deep interest in you, but their intentions are not good. All they want is to separate you from me, so that you will have the same interest in them as they have in you. 18 Now, it is good to have such a deep interest if the purpose is good—this is true always, and not merely when I am with you. 19 My dear children! Once again, just like a mother in childbirth, I feel the same kind of pain for you until Christ's nature is formed in you. 20 How I wish I were with you now, so that I could take a different attitude toward you. I am so worried about you!
The Example of Hagar and Sarah
21 Let me ask those of you who want to be subject to the Law: do you not hear what the Law says? 22 It says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by a free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born in the usual way, but his son by the free woman was born as a result of God's promise. 24 These things can be understood as a figure: the two women represent two covenants. The one whose children are born in slavery is Hagar, and she represents the covenant made at Mount Sinai. 25 Hagar, who stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, is a figure of the present city of Jerusalem, in slavery with all its people. 26 But the heavenly Jerusalem is free, and she is our mother. 27 For the scripture says,
“Be happy, you childless woman!
Shout and cry with joy, you who never felt the pains of childbirth!
For the woman who was deserted will have more children
than the woman whose husband never left her.”
28 Now, you, my friends, are God's children as a result of his promise, just as Isaac was. 29 At that time the son who was born in the usual way persecuted the one who was born because of God's Spirit; and it is the same now. 30 But what does the scripture say? It says, “Send the slave woman and her son away; for the son of the slave woman will not have a part of the father's property along with the son of the free woman.” 31 So then, my friends, we are not the children of a slave woman but of a free woman.
