Galatians 4:8–20

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

⁸Formerly, when you did not know God,^j you were slaves^k to those who by nature are not gods.^{l 9}But now that you know God—or rather are known by God^m—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces^d? Do you wish to be enslavedⁿ by them all over again?^{o 10}You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!^{p 11}I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.^q

¹²I plead with you, brothers and sisters,^r become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. ¹³As you know, it was because of an illness^s that I first preached the gospel to you, ¹⁴and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.^{t 15}Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?^u

¹⁷Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.^{v 18}It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.^{w 19}My dear children,^x for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,^{y 20}how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!