Galatians 4
1 And I say, now as much time as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a servant, [though] being lord of all,
Kodwa ngithi, ngaso sonke isikhathi indlalifa iseyingane, kayehlukananga ngalutho esigqilini lanxa ingumnikazi wakho konke;
2 but is under tutors and stewards until the time appointed of the father,
kodwa ingaphansi kwabaphathi lababonisi, kuze kufike isikhathi esamiswa nguyise.
3 so we also, when we were children, were in servitude under the elements of the world,
Ngokunjalo lathi, lapho siseyizingane, sasiyizigqili ngaphansi kwemfundiso zakuqala zomhlaba;
4 and when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, come of a woman, come under law,
kodwa kwathi ukuphelela kwesikhathi sekufikile, uNkulunkulu wathuma iNdodana yakhe, yazalwa ngowesifazana, yenziwa ngaphansi komthetho,
5 that He may redeem those under law, that we may receive the adoption as sons;
ukuze ihlenge abangaphansi komlayo, ukuze semukele ukuma kwabantwana.
6 and because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Njengoba lingamadodana, uNkulunkulu wathuma uMoya weNdodana yakhe enhliziyweni zenu, ememeza esithi: Abha, Baba!
7 So that you are no longer a servant, but a son, and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.
Ngakho kawuseyiso isigqili, kodwa indodana; njalo uba uyindodana, futhi uyindlalifa kaNkulunkulu ngoKristu.
8 But then, indeed, having not known God, you were in servitude to those [that are] not by nature gods,
Kodwa ngalesosikhathi, lingamazi uNkulunkulu, laliyizigqili kulabo abangeyisibo onkulunkulu ngemvelo;
9 and now, having known God—and rather being known by God—how [do] you turn again to the weak and poor elements to which you desire anew to be in servitude?
kodwa khathesi lokhu selimazi uNkulunkulu, yebo kangithi lisaziwa nguNkulunkulu, libuyela njani futhi kumfundiso zakuqala ezibuthakathaka leziyibuyanga, elifuna ukuba yizigqili zazo futhi kakutsha?
10 You observe days, and months, and times, and years!
Ligcina izinsuku, lezinyanga lezikhathi, leminyaka.
11 I am afraid for you, lest I labored in vain for you.
Ngilovalo ngani, hlezi ngitshikatshikele ize kini.
12 I implore you, brothers, become as I [am]—because I also [am] as you; you did not hurt me;
Banini njengami, ngoba lami nginjengani, bazalwane, ngiyalincenga; kalingonanga ngalutho;
13 and you have known that through weakness of the flesh I proclaimed good news to you at the first,
liyazi-ke ukuthi ngobuthakathaka benyama ngatshumayela ivangeli kini ngokokuqala,
14 and you did not despise nor reject my trial that [is] in my flesh, but you received me as a messenger of God—as Christ Jesus;
lokulingwa kwami okwakusenyameni yami kalikudelelanga njalo kalikwenyanyanga, kodwa langemukela njengengilosi kaNkulunkulu, njengoKristu Jesu.
15 what then was your blessedness? For I testify to you, that if possible, having plucked out your eyes, you would have given [them] to me;
Ngakho sasiyini isibusiso senu? Ngoba ngiyalifakazela ukuthi, uba kungenzeka, lalingakhupha amehlo enu linginike.
16 so have I become your enemy, being true to you?
Ngakho sengibeyisitha senu ngokulitshela iqiniso yini?
17 They are zealous for you—[yet] not well, but they wish to shut us out, that you may be zealous for them;
Bayalitshisekela ngokungekuhle; kodwa bafuna ukulivalela ngaphandle, ukuze litshisekele bona.
18 and [it is] good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you;
Kodwa kuhle ukuthi litshisekelelwe kokuhle isikhathi sonke, njalo kungabi sebukhoneni bami lani kuphela.
19 my little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ may be formed in you,
Bantwana bami abancane, engilomhelo futhi wokulizala aze uKristu abunjwe kini,
20 indeed I was wishing to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about you.
kodwa bengingathanda ukuba khona lani khathesi, ngiphendule ilizwi lami, ngoba ngididekile ngani.
21 Tell me, you who are willing to be under law, do you not hear the Law?
Ngitshelani, lina elithanda ukuba ngaphansi komlayo, kaliwuzwa yini umlayo?
22 For it has been written that Abraham had two sons, one by the maidservant and one by the free [woman],
Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi uAbrahama wayelamadodana amabili; enye ingeyesigqilikazi, lenye ingeyokhululekileyo.
23 but he who [is] of the maidservant has been according to flesh, but he who [is] of the free [woman], through the promise,
Kodwa eyesigqilikazi yazalwa ngokwenyama, kodwa eyokhululekileyo ngesithembiso.
24 which things are allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from Mount Sinai, bringing forth to servitude, which is Hagar;
Okuyizinto ezingumzekeliso; ngoba laba bayizivumelwano ezimbili; esinye esentabeni iSinayi, esizalela ebugqilini, esinguAgari.
25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the Jerusalem that now [is], and is in servitude with her children,
Ngoba lokhu, uAgari, kuyintaba iSinayi eseArabhiya, njalo imele iJerusalema yalamuhla, futhi iyisigqili kanye labantwana bayo.
26 and the Jerusalem above is the free [woman], which is mother of us all,
Kodwa iJerusalema ephezulu ikhululekile, engumama wethu sonke;
27 for it has been written: “Rejoice, O barren, who is not bearing; break forth and cry, you who are not travailing, because many [are] the children of the desolate—more than of her having the husband.”
ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Thokoza, wena nyumba engazaliyo; kekela umemeze, wena ongawuzwanga umhelo; ngoba abantwana botshiyiweyo banengi okwedlula kakhulu kulaye olendoda.
28 And we, brothers, as Isaac, are children of promise,
Kodwa thina, bazalwane, njengoIsaka singabantwana besithembiso.
29 but as he then who was born according to the flesh persecuted him [born] according to the Spirit, so also now;
Kodwa njengakulesosikhathi owazalwa ngokwenyama wamzingela yena ongowakoMoya, kunjalo lakhathesi.
30 but what does the Writing say? “Cast forth the maidservant and her son, for the son of the maidservant may not be heir with the son of the free [woman]”;
Kodwa umbhalo uthini? Uthi: Xotsha isigqilikazi lendodana yaso; ngoba indodana yesigqilikazi kayisoze idle ilifa kanye lendodana yokhululekileyo.
31 then, brothers, we are not a maidservant’s children, but the free [woman’s].
Ngakho, bazalwane, kasisibo abantwana besigqilikazi, kodwa bokhululekileyo.
