13. As you know, it was because I was sick that I first preached the good news to you.
14. My sickness was hard on you. But you didn't put me off. You didn't make fun of me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God. You welcomed me as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
15. What has happened to all of your joy? If you could have torn out your own eyes and given them to me, you would have. I can give witness to that.
16. Have I become your enemy now by telling you the truth?
17. Those people are trying hard to win you over. But it is not for your good. They want to take you away from us. They want you to commit yourselves to them.
18. It is fine to be committed to something, if the purpose is good. And you shouldn't be committed only when I am with you. You should always be committed.
19. My dear children, I am in pain for you. Once again I have pain like a woman giving birth. And my pain will continue until Christ makes you like himself.
20. I wish I could be with you now. I wish I could change my tone of voice. As it is, you bewilder me.
21. You who want to be under the authority of the law, tell me something. Don't you know what the law says?
22. It is written that Abraham had two sons. The slave woman gave birth to one of them. The free woman gave birth to the other one.
23. Abraham's son by the slave woman was born in the usual way. But his son by the free woman was born because of God's promise.
24. Those things can be taken as examples. The two women stand for two covenants. One covenant comes from Mount Sinai. It gives birth to children who are going to be slaves. It is Hagar.