Galati 4
1 ORA, io dico che in tutto il tempo che l'erede è fanciullo, non è punto differente dal servo, benchè egli sia signore di tutto.
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].
2 Anzi egli è sotto tutori e curatori, fino al tempo ordinato innanzi dal padre.
Until the [day that] his father [previously] determined, [other] persons supervise him and manage his father’s property.
3 Così ancora noi, mentre eravamo fanciulli, eravamo tenuti in servitù sotto gli elementi del mondo.
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].
4 Ma, quando è venuto il compimento del tempo, Iddio ha mandato il suo Figliuolo, fatto di donna, sottoposto alla legge;
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].
5 affinchè riscattasse coloro ch' [eran] sotto la legge, acciocchè noi ricevessimo l'adottazione.
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].
6 Ora, perciocchè voi siete figliuoli, Iddio ha mandato lo Spirito del suo Figliuolo ne' cuori vostri, che grida: Abba, Padre.
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].
7 Talchè tu non sei più servo, ma figliuolo; e se tu [sei] figliuolo, [sei] ancora erede di Dio, per Cristo.
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].
8 Ma allora [voi], non conoscendo Iddio, servivate a coloro che di natura non sono dii.
When you did not have a relationship with God [MET], you served gods that really did not exist [MET]. You were their slaves.
9 Ed ora, avendo conosciuto Iddio; anzi più tosto essendo stati conosciuti da Dio, come vi rivolgete di nuovo a' deboli e poveri elementi, a' quali, [tornando] addietro, volete di nuovo servire?
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]
10 Voi osservate giorni, e mesi, e stagioni, ed anni.
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.
11 Io temo di voi, ch'io non abbia faticato invano inverso voi.
I (worry/am concerned) about your [mistaken ideas. I do not want] to have [so] strenuously served you in vain.
12 Siate come [sono] io, perciocchè io ancora [son] come voi; fratelli, io ve [ne] prego, voi non mi avete fatto alcun torto.
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].
13 Ora, voi sapete come per l'addietro io vi evangelizzai con infermità della carne.
You know that the first time I preached to you, [I went to your area to regain my health, because I was physically weak].
14 E voi non isprezzaste, nè schifaste la mia prova, che [era] nella mia carne; anzi mi accoglieste come un angelo di Dio, come Cristo Gesù stesso.
[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!
15 Che cosa adunque vi faceva così predicar beati? poichè io vi rendo testimonianza che se [fosse stato] possibile, voi vi sareste cavati gli occhi, e me li avreste dati.
(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]!
16 Son io dunque divenuto vostro nemico, proponendovi la verità?
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.
17 [Coloro] sono zelanti per voi, non onestamente; anzi vi vogliono distaccare da noi, acciocchè siate zelanti per loro.
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].
18 Or egli [è] bene d'esser sempre zelanti in bene, e non solo quando io son presente fra voi.
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.
19 [Deh!] figlioletti miei, i quali io partorisco di nuovo, finchè Cristo sia formato in voi!
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].
20 Or io desidererei ora esser presente fra voi, e mutar la mia voce, perciocchè io son perplesso di voi.
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].
21 DITEMI, [voi] che volete essere sotto la legge, non udite voi la legge?
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.
22 Poichè egli è scritto, che Abrahamo ebbe due figliuoli: uno della serva, e uno della franca.
[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.
23 Or quel che [era] della serva fu generato secondo la carne; ma quel che [era] della franca [fu generato] per la promessa.
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].
24 Le quali cose hanno un senso allegorico; poichè quelle [due donne] sono i due patti: l'uno dal monte Sina, che genera a servitù, il quale è Agar.
[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].
25 Perciocchè Agar è Sina, monte in Arabia; e corrisponde alla Gerusalemme del tempo presente; ed è serva, co' suoi figliuoli.
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].
26 Ma la Gerusalemme di sopra è franca; la quale è madre di tutti noi.
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].
27 Poichè egli è scritto: Rallegrati, o sterile che non partorivi; prorompi, e grida, tu che non sentivi doglie di parto; perciocchè più [saranno] i figliuoli della lasciata, che di colei che avea il marito.
[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].
28 Or noi, fratelli, nella maniera d'Isacco, siamo figliuoli della promessa.
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].
29 Ma come allora quel che era generato secondo la carne, perseguiva quel [che era generato] secondo lo spirito, così ancora [avviene] al presente.
[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].
30 Ma, che dice la scrittura? Caccia fuori la serva, e il suo figliuolo; perciocchè il figliuol della serva non sarà erede col figliuol della franca.
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].
31 Così adunque, fratelli, noi non siamo figliuoli della serva, ma della franca.
[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].
