Galatians 4:9-20

9But now you do know God. Or really, I should say that God knows you. So you must not turn back to serve those weak spirits that rule this world. Why do you want to obey their useless rules and become their slaves again?

10You say that certain days, or months, or seasons, or years are special. That is how you want to please God.

11I am afraid about you. I worked very much to help you. I do not want my work to have no results.

12My Christian friends, please become like me! I ask you to do this, because when I was with you, I became like you. You did not then do anything wrong to me.

13You must remember that I first came to you because I was ill. That was when I first told God's good news to you.

14I caused trouble for you because I was ill. But you did not insult me. You did not tell me to go away. But you were kind to me. You took care of me as if I were an angel from God, or even Christ Jesus himself.

15But now you do not seem to be happy with me any more. I can say that you would have pulled out your own eyes to help me. You would have given them to me, if that had been possible.

16But now I seem to have become your enemy! Is that because I am telling you God's true message?

17Those false teachers try very much to please you. But they do not really want what is good for you. They want to make you turn away from me. Then you will only want to listen to them.

18It is good for someone to try to please other people if they really want to help them. That is true all the time, not only when I am there with you.

19My children, I feel like a mother who is giving birth to you again. I will continue to feel that kind of pain until you become more completely like Christ.

20I want very much to be there with you now. Then I would know better how to speak to you. As it is, I do not know what to think about you.