13. You remember why I preached the gospel to you the first time; it was because I was ill.
14. But even though my physical condition was a great trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you received me as you would an angel from heaven; you received me as you would Christ Jesus.
15. You were so happy! What has happened? I myself can say that you would have taken out your own eyes, if you could, and given them to me.
16. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17. Those other people show a deep interest in you, but their intentions are not good. All they want is to separate you from me, so that you will have the same interest in them as they have in you.
18. Now, it is good to have such a deep interest if the purpose is good — this is true always, and not merely when I am with you.
19. My dear children! Once again, just like a mother in childbirth, I feel the same kind of pain for you until Christ's nature is formed in you.
20. How I wish I were with you now, so that I could take a different attitude towards you. I am so worried about you!
21. Let me ask those of you who want to be subject to the Law: do you not hear what the Law says?
22. It says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by a free woman.
23. His son by the slave woman was born in the usual way, but his son by the free woman was born as a result of God's promise.
24. These things can be understood as a figure: the two women represent two covenants. The one whose children are born in slavery is Hagar, and she represents the covenant made at Mount Sinai.
25. Hagar, who stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, is a figure of the present city of Jerusalem, in slavery with all its people.
26. But the heavenly Jerusalem is free, and she is our mother.
27. For the scripture says:“Be happy, you childless woman!Shout and cry with joy, you who never felt the pains of childbirth!For the woman who was deserted will have more childrenthan the woman whose husband never left her.”