Galatians 4:8–20

⁸However at that time, ^awhen you did not know God, you were ^bslaves to ^cthose which by nature are no gods.

⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be ^aknown by God, ^bhow is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless ^1celemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

¹⁰You ^aobserve days and months and seasons and years.

¹¹I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored ¹over you in vain.

¹²I beg of you, ^abrethren, ^bbecome as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;

¹³but you know that it was because of a ¹bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the ²first time;

¹⁴and that which was a ¹trial to you in my ²bodily condition you did not despise or ³loathe, but ^ayou received me as an angel of God, as ^bChrist Jesus Himself.

¹⁵Where then is ¹that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

¹⁶So have I become your enemy ^aby ¹telling you the truth?

¹⁷They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

¹⁸But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable ¹manner, and ^anot only when I am present with you.

^19aMy children, with whom ^bI am again in labor until ^cChrist is formed in you—

²⁰but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for ^aI am perplexed about you.