4 ⁸ Formerly, when you did not acknowledge God, you were the slaves of beings which in their nature are no gods. Or: were slaves to 'gods' which in reality do not exist. 4 ⁹ But now that you do acknowledge God?or rather, now that he has acknowledged you?how can you turn back to the mean and beggarly spirits of the elements? See note of Gal.4.3. Why do you propose to enter their service all over again? 4 ¹⁰ You keep special days and months and seasons and years. 4 ¹¹ You make me fear that all the pains I spent on you may prove to be labour lost.

4 ¹² PUT YOURSELVES in my place, my brothers, I beg you, for I have put myself in yours. It is not that you did me any wrong. 4 ¹³ As you know, it was bodily illness that originally Or: formerly; Or: on the first of my two visits. led to my bringing you the Gospel, 4 ¹⁴ and you resisted any temptation to show scorn or disgust at the state of my poor body; Or: you showed neither scorn nor disgust at the trial my poor body was enduring. you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as you might have welcomed Christ Jesus himself. 4 ¹⁵ Have you forgotten how happy you thought yourselves in having me with you? I can say this for you: you would have torn out your very eyes, and given them to me, had that been possible! 4 ¹⁶ And have I now made myself your enemy by being honest with you?
4 ¹⁷ The persons I have referred to are envious of you, but not with an honest envy: Or: paying court to you, but with honest intentions. what they really want is to bar the door to you so that you may come to envy Or: pay court to. them. 4 ¹⁸ It is always a fine thing to deserve an honest envy Or: to be honourably wooed. ?always, and not only when I am present with you, dear children. 4 ¹⁹ For my children you are, and I am in travail with you over again until you take the shape of Christ. 4 ²⁰ I wish I could be with you now; then I could modify my tone; Or: now, and could exchange words with you. as it is, I am at my wits' end about you.