Galatians 4
1 Now, I [will further] discuss [children and heirs]: [An heir is a person who will later] control all that his father has. But as long as that heir is a child, others [control] him, with the result that he is just like a slave [MET].
Engikutshoyo yikuthi nxa indlalifa isesengumntwana, kayehlukananga lesigqili lanxa nje ingumnikazi welifa lonke.
2 Until the [day that] his father [previously] determined, [other] persons supervise him and manage his father’s property.
Ingaphansi kwabaphathi lababambeli kuze kufike isikhathi esabekwa nguyise.
3 Likewise, when we [(inc)] (OR, we [(exc) Jews]) were [like] young children [MET], we were controlled by the spiritual powers of this world. They controlled us like [masters control their slaves] [MET].
Ngokunjalo lathi ngesikhathi sisesengabantwana sasiyizigqili ngaphansi kwempi yemimoya yalumhlaba.
4 But exactly at the time [MTY] [that God had previously determined], he sent [Jesus], who is (his Son/the man who is also God), into the world. Jesus was born to a [human] mother. He had to obey the laws [that God gave to Moses].
Kodwa kwathi lapho isikhathi sesifike ngokupheleleyo, uNkulunkulu wathuma iNdodana yakhe, yazalwa ngowesifazane, izalwa ngaphansi komthetho,
5 God sent Jesus in order that he might redeem us who had to obey [God’s] laws. God wanted us all to receive from [God] the status of being his children [MET].
ukuba ihlenge abangaphansi komthetho, ukuze sithole amalungelo apheleleyo amadodana atholakeleyo.
6 Furthermore, we know that we are God’s children because God sent the Spirit, who is intimately related to Jesus, to live in our (inner beings/hearts). [The Spirit enables us to] pray fervently, “Daddy, Father!” [This shows that we are God’s children].
Njengokuba lingamadodana, uNkulunkulu wathumela uMoya weNdodana yakhe enhliziyweni zenu, omemezayo usithi, “Abha, Baba.”
7 So, [because of what God has done], no longer is [each of] you [like] a slave. Instead, [each of you is] a child [of God]. Furthermore, since [each of you is God’s] child, God has also made you his heir, [one who will receive all that he has promised].
Ngakho kawuseyiso isigqili kodwa indodana kaNkulunkulu; njalo njengoba usuyindodana, uNkulunkulu usekwenze waba yindlalifa futhi.
8 When you did not have a relationship with God [MET], you served gods that really did not exist [MET]. You were their slaves.
Ekuqaleni, lingakamazi uNkulunkulu laliyizigqili zalabo abangayisibo onkulunkulu ngemvelo.
9 But now you have come to know God. Perhaps [it would be better to say that] now God knows you. [So now you are acting foolishly]! (You are again believing [that by obeying] rules and rites [you will benefit spiritually]! [RHQ] [Those rules are] ineffective and inadequate! You are wanting to [obey them] again [MET] like slaves obey their masters. [RHQ]
Kodwa khathesi uNkulunkulu selimazi, loba ngithi uNkulunkulu uselazi, pho kungani libuyela emuva empini yemimoya yalumhlaba ebuthakathaka leyize na? Liyafisa ukuthi ligqilazwe yiyo njalo na?
10 You [non-Jews] are carefully practicing [Jewish rules and rituals about what you should do] (on [Sabbaths/on Jewish days of rest]) and [on the first day of each] month and on [special] seasons and years.
Lina ligcina insuku ezithile lezinyanga, izikhathi zomnyaka kanye leminyaka!
11 I (worry/am concerned) about your [mistaken ideas. I do not want] to have [so] strenuously served you in vain.
Ngiyalesabela, ukuthi ngenye indlela sengichithe imizamo yami kini.
12 My fellow believers, I strongly urge you that you do as I do. [Stop thinking that you have to obey (Jewish rules and rituals/ceremonial laws]). [When I was with you], I [did not obey all the Jewish rules and rituals], just like you [did not obey them]. [At that time] you treated me entirely as you should have [LIT].
Ngiyalincenga bazalwane, wobani njengami, ngoba lami ngaba njengani. Kalingenzelanga lutho olubi.
13 You know that the first time I preached to you, [I went to your area to regain my health, because I was physically weak].
Njengoba lisazi, ngatshumayela ivangeli kini kuqala ngenxa yomkhuhlane.
14 [Although] you might have [despised me because] I was physically weak, you did not despise me or act contemptuously/disrespectfully toward me. Instead, you welcomed me like [you would welcome] an angel from God. [You welcomed me] like [you would welcome] Christ Jesus!
Lanxa isimo somzimba wami sasiyisilingo kini, kalizange lingeyise kumbe lingihleke. Kodwa langamukela sengathi ngangiyingilosi kaNkulunkulu, sengathi nganginguKhristu uJesu yena ngokwakhe.
15 (I am disappointed that you have forgotten [that then] you [declared that you were] pleased with [me]./Have you forgotten [that then] you [declared that you were] pleased with [me]?) [RHQ] I can testify that you [would have done anything to help me]. You would have gouged out your eyes [and] given them to me, [if that would have helped me]!
Intokozo yenu yonke isiyengaphi na? Ngingafakaza ukuthi aluba lalingenzanjalo, lalingakopola amehlo enu linginike wona.
16 So I am very disappointed that you [now] act as though [RHQ] I have become hostile to you [because I have kept] speaking the true [message about Christ] to you.
Khathesi sengibe yisitha senu ngokulitshela iqiniso na?
17 Those [who are insisting on obeying Jewish rules] are eagerly [showing interest in] you, but [what they are doing is] not good. They even want you not to associate with [me and other true] believers, because they want you to eagerly show [interest in] them, [not in us].
Labobantu batshisekela ukulenza abazalwane babo, kodwa hatshi ngobuhle. Abakufunayo yikulehlukanisa lathi ukuze litshisekele bona.
18 But [just like] it always feels good to have others show that they appreciate you, [I would like you] always [to appreciate me], and not only when I am with you.
Ukutshiseka kulungile nxa injongo inhle, lokuba kube njalo kokuphela, hatshi kuphela nxa ngilani.
19 You [who are like] my children, [once] again I am very worried/concerned about you [MET], [and I will continue to] be worried/concerned until Christ’s [nature becomes developed] in you [completely and wholeheartedly] [MET] [as a child] becomes developed [in his mother’s womb].
Bantwabami abathandekayo, lina engilomhelo ngani futhi uKhristu aze abunjwe phakathi kwenu,
20 But I do wish that I could be with you now and that I might talk [more gently with you], because I do not know [what to do about] you [while we are apart].
ngiyafisa kakhulu ukuba lani khathesi ngiguqule isimo sami, ngoba ngikhathazekile ngani!
21 Some of you desire [to obey all the laws] that God gave Moses. [I say that] you [should] consider [RHQ] [the implications of what Moses wrote in] the Scriptures.
Ngitshelani lina elifuna ukuba ngaphansi komthetho, kalikwazi yini ukuthi umthetho uthini?
22 [He] wrote that Abraham became the father of two sons. His female slave, [Hagar], bore one son, and his [wife Sarah], who was not a slave, bore the other.
Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi u-Abhrahama wayelamadodana amabili, enye ingeyesigqilikazi lenye ingeyowesifazane okhululekileyo.
23 Also, [the sons differed. Ishmael], the [son born by] the female slave, was conceived naturally. But [Isaac], the [son born by] his wife who was not a slave, was conceived [miraculously] as a result of what [God] had promised [Abraham].
Indodana yakhe yesigqilikazi yazalwa ngokwenyama; kodwa indodana yakhe yowesifazane okhululekileyo yazalwa kulandela isithembiso.
24 [I am telling you this] as an illustration. These [two women] symbolize two agreements. [God made] the first [agreement, which involved obeying the laws that God gave to Moses] at Sinai Mountain. [Because that agreement forces those who accept it to keep obeying all its rules] [MET], [it is like a slave mother who] gives birth to slaves. [So] Hagar, [the female slave, symbolizes] that [agreement].
Izinto lezi zingathathwa njengomzekeliso; ngoba abesifazane ababili bamele izivumelwano ezimbili. Esinye isivumelwano sivela eNtabeni yeSinayi e-Arabhiya njalo sizala abantwana abazakuba yizigqili: Lo nguHagari.
25 Also, the [word] ‘Hagar’ is [associated with] Sinai Mountain, [which is] in Arabia [land. Hagar, the female slave, also] represents Jerusalem as it is today. Jerusalem is [like] [MET] a slave [mother, and those who live there] [PRS] [are like] her slave children [MET] [because they all must obey the laws that God gave to Moses].
UHagari umele iNtaba yeSinayi e-Arabhiya njalo uhambelana ledolobho lakhathesi eleJerusalema, ngoba lisebugqilini kanye labantwana balo.
26 But there will be a [new] Jerusalem in heaven [MTY], and we [who will go there] are free [from having to obey Jewish laws]. We [who belong to that city consider it to be] our mother [MET] [city because we are God’s true children].
Kodwa iJerusalema ephezulu ikhululekile, njalo ingumama wethu.
27 [Our new city will have more people than those who live in Jerusalem now. It will be just like] Isaiah foretold about [the people whom he expected would come back to Jerusalem from exile. He expected that they would be more numerous than those who] were taken into exile. He wrote: [You who live in Jerusalem, you will] rejoice! Now you have no children, like a barren [woman] who does not give birth to [children! But some day you will] shout [joyfully], (without restraint/as loudly as you can), [even though now you are few in number, like a woman who] cannot give birth [to children, and you] feel deserted. [You will be very happy] because [you will have many children who will come to you. Those children will be] more than [the children] any woman with a husband [could have borne].
Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Thokoza mfazi oyinyumba, wena ongazange uzale umntwana; umemeze ngenjabulo ukhale kakhulu, wena ongakaze uhelelwe; ngoba abantwana bomfazi olahliweyo banengi kulabalowo olendoda.”
28 Now, [my] fellow believers, you have become children [of God as a result of believing God’s] promise to us, as Isaac [was born as a result of Abraham believing what God promised to him] [MET].
Ngakho lina bazalwane, njengo-Isaka, lingabantwana besithembiso.
29 [Also, long ago Abraham’s son] Ishmael, the one who was conceived naturally, caused trouble for [Abraham’s son] Isaac, who [was conceived] supernaturally [MET]. Similarly, now [those who think that we must obey the laws that God gave Moses in order that God will save us are causing trouble for those who are trusting Abraham’s descendant, Christ].
Ngalesosikhathi indodana eyazalwa ngokwenyama yahlukuluza indodana eyazalwa ngamandla kaMoya. Kunjalo lakhathesi.
30 But these are [RHQ] the words in the Scriptures [PRS]: “The son of the [woman] who was not a slave will inherit [what his father has]. The female slave’s son will certainly not inherit those things. So send away from [this place] the female slave and her son [MET]!” [That means that you should certainly expel from your groups those who insist that we obey all the laws God gave Moses] [MET].
Kodwa umbhalo uthini na? Uthi: “Susa isigqilikazi lendodana yaso, ngoba indodana yesigqilikazi kayiyikwabelana ilifa lendodana yowesifazane okhululekileyo.”
31 [My] fellow believers, [Hagar symbolizes the laws that God gave to Moses. But we are not those who must obey all the laws that God gave to Moses] [MET]. [So] we are not [the] female slave [Hagar’s spiritual] descendants [MET]. But [Sarah’s descendants are those who were born as a result of believing what God promised to Abraham. So we are] the [spiritual] descendants of [Sarah, the woman] who was not a slave [MET].
Ngakho, bazalwane, thina kasisibo bantwana besigqilikazi, kodwa abowesifazane okhululekileyo.
