Lettera ai Galati 4

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Dico autem: Quanto tempore heres parvulus est, nihil differt a servo, cumsit dominus omnium,	1 What I am saying is this: an heir, during the time while he is stil under age, is no different from a slave,even though he is the owner of al the property;
2 sed sub tutoribus est et actoribus usque ad praefinitumtempus a patre.	2 he is under the control of guardians and administrators until the time fixed by his father.
3 Ita et nos, cum essemus parvuli, sub elementis mundi eramusservientes;	3 So too with us, as long as we were stil under age, we were enslaved to the elemental principles of thisworld;
4 at ubi venit plenitudo temporis, misit Deus Filium suum, factum exmuliere, factum sub lege,	4 but when the completion of the time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of theLaw,
5 ut eos, qui sub lege erant, redimeret, ut adoptionemfiliorum reciperemus.	5 to redeem the subjects of the Law, so that we could receive adoption as sons.
6 Quoniam autem estis filii, misit Deus Spiritum Filii suiin corda nostra clamantem: “ Abba, Pater! ”.	6 As you are sons, God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son crying, 'Abba, Father';
7 Itaque iam non es servus sedfilius; quod si filius, et heres per Deum.	7 and so you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir, by God's own act.
8 Sed tunc quidem ignorantes Deum, his, qui natura non sunt dii, servistis;	8 But formerly when you did not know God, you were kept in slavery to things which are not really gods atal ,
9 nunc autem, cum cognoveritis Deum, immo cogniti sitis a Deo, quomodoconvertimini iterum ad infirma et egena elementa, quibus rursus ut antea servirevultis?	9 whereas now that you have come to recognise God -- or rather, be recognised by God -- how can younow turn back again to those powerless and bankrupt elements whose slaves you now want to be al overagain?
10 Dies observatis et menses et tempora et annos!	10 You are keeping special days, and months, and seasons and years-
11 Timeo vos, ne fortesine causa laboraverim in vobis.	11 I am beginning to be afraid that I may, after al , have wasted my efforts on you.
12 Estote sicut ego, quia et ego sicut vos; fratres, obsecro vos. Nihil melaesistis;	12 I urge you, brothers,-be like me, as I have become like you. You have never been unfair to me;
13 scitis autem quia per infirmitatem carnis pridem vobisevangelizavi,	13 indeed you remember that it was an il ness that first gave me the opportunity to preach the gospel toyou,
14 et tentationem vestram in carne mea non sprevistis nequerespuistis, sed sicut angelum Dei excepistis me, sicut Christum Iesum.	14 but though my il ness was a trial to you, you did not show any distaste or revulsion; instead, youwelcomed me as a messenger of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
15 Ubi est ergo beatitudo vestra? Testimonium enim perhibeo vobis, quia, sifieri posset, oculos vestros eruissetis et dedissetis mihi.	15 What has happened to the utter contentment you had then? For I can testify to you that you wouldhave plucked your eyes out, were that possible, and given them to me.
16 Ergo inimicusvobis factus sum, verum dicens vobis?	16 Then have I turned into your enemy simply by being truthful with you?
17 Aemulantur vos non bene, sed excluderevos volunt, ut illos aemulemini.	17 Their devotion to you has no praiseworthy motive; they simply want to cut you off from me, so that youmay centre your devotion on them.
18 Bonum est autem aemulari in bono semper, etnon tantum cum praesens sum apud vos,	18 Devotion to a praiseworthy cause is praiseworthy at any time, not only when I am there with you.
19 filioli mei, quos iterum parturio,donec formetur Christus in vobis!	19 My children, I am going through the pain of giving birth to you al over again, until Christ is formed inyou;
20 Vellem autem esse apud vos modo et mutarevocem meam, quoniam incertus sum in vobis.	20 and how I wish I could be there with you at this moment and find the right way of talking to you: I amquite at a loss with you.
21 Dicite mihi, qui sub lege vultis esse: Legem non auditis?	21 Tell me then, you are so eager to be subject to the Law, have you listened to what the Law says?
22 Scriptum estenim quoniam Abraham duos filios habuit, unum de ancilla et unum de libera.	22 Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave girl and one by the freewoman.
23 Sed qui de ancilla, secundum carnem natus est; qui autem de libera, perpromissionem.	23 The son of the slave girl came to be born in the way of human nature; but the son of the freewomancame to be born through a promise.
24 Quae sunt per allegoriam dicta; ipsae enim sunt duo Testamenta,unum quidem a monte Sinai, in servitutem generans, quod est Agar.	24 There is an al egory here: these women stand for the two covenants. The one given on Mount Sinai --that is Hagar, whose children are born into slavery;
25 Illud veroAgar mons est Sinai in Arabia, respondet autem Ierusalem, quae nunc est; servitenim cum filiis suis.	25 now Sinai is a mountain in Arabia and represents Jerusalem in its present state, for she is in slaverytogether with her children.
26 Illa autem, quae sursum est Ierusalem, libera est, quaeest mater nostra;	26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and that is the one that is our mother;
27 scriptum est enim: “ Laetare, sterilis, quae non paris, erumpe et exclama, quae non parturis, quia multi filii desertae magis quam eius, quae habet virum ”.	27 as scripture says: Shout for joy, you barren woman who has borne no children! Break into shouts ofjoy, you who were never in labour. For the sons of the forsaken one are more in number than the sons of thewedded wife.
28 Vos autem, fratres, secundum Isaac promissionis filii estis.	28 Now you, brothers, are like Isaac, children of the promise;
29 Sed quomodotunc, qui secundum carnem natus fuerat, persequebatur eum, qui secundumspiritum, ita et nunc.	29 just as at that time, the child born in the way of human nature persecuted the child born through theSpirit, so now.
30 Sed quid dicit Scriptura? “ Eice ancillam et filiumeius; non enim heres erit filius ancillae cum filio liberae ”.	30 But what is it that scripture says? Drive away that slave girl and her son; the slave girl's son is not toshare the inheritance with the son of the freewoman.
31 Itaque,fratres, non sumus ancillae filii sed liberae.	31 So, brothers, we are the children not of the slave girl but of the freewoman.