⁶And because you are sons, God has sent ^jthe Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then ^kan heir through God.

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

⁸Formerly, when you ^ldid not know God, you ^mwere enslaved to those that by nature ⁿare not gods. ⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather ^oto be known by God, ^phow can you turn back again to ^qthe weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? ¹⁰^rYou observe days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹I am afraid ^sI may have labored over you in vain.

Read in Logos

Galatians 4:8–9: Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again…?

Cross references

j[Rom. 5:5; 2 Cor. 3:17]; See Acts 16:7
kSee ch. 3:29
l 1 Cor. 1:21; 1 Thess. 4:5; 2 Thess. 1:8; 1 John 4:8
m[Eph. 2:11, 12; 1 Thess. 1:9]
n 2 Chr. 13:9; Isa. 37:19; Jer. 2:11; 5:7; 16:20; [1 Cor. 8:4]
oSee 1 Cor. 8:3
p[ch. 3:3]
q Rom. 8:3; Heb. 7:18
r Rom. 14:5; Col. 2:16
sch. 2:2; 5:2, 4; 1 Thess. 3:5

In other versions

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir.

But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? You are observing special days, months, seasons, and years. I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.

NLTNew Living Translation

And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And because you are sons, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! (Father!),” so that you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, also an heir through God.

But at that time when you did not know God, you were enslaved to the things which by nature are not gods. But now, because you have come to know God, or rather have come to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental spirits? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? You carefully observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest perhaps I have labored for you in vain!

KJV 1900King James Version

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Public Domain