Hagar and Sarah

21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law,z are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave womana and the other by the free woman.b 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,c but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.d

24 These 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. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is abovee is free, and she is our mother. 27 For 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.”e f