Abaggalatiya 4
1 Naye ŋŋamba nti omusika bw’aba ng’akyali mwana muto, tayawulwa na muddu, newaakubadde nga ye mukama wa byonna.
My point is this – as long as the heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a slave, though he is master of the whole estate.
2 Afugibwa abasigire n’abawanika okutuusa lw’akula n’atuuka ku kigero kitaawe, kye yategeka.
He is subject to the control of guardians and stewards, during the period for which his father has power to appoint them.
3 Era naffe bwe tutyo bwe twali tukyali bato, twafugibwanga obulombolombo obw’ensi.
And so is it with us; when we were under age, as it were, we were slaves to the puerile teaching of this world;
4 Naye ekiseera bwe kyatuuka, Katonda n’atuma Omwana we
but, when the full time came, God sent his Son – born a woman’s child, born subject to Law –
5 eyazaalibwa omukazi ng’afugibwa amateeka, tulyoke tufuuke abaana.
to ransom those who were subject to Law, so that we might take our position as sons.
6 Era kubanga tuli baana, Katonda yatuma Omwoyo w’Omwana we okubeera mu mitima gyaffe, era kaakano tuyinza okwogera mu ddoboozi ery’omwanguka nti, “Aba, Kitaffe.”
And it is because you are sons that God sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, with the cry – ‘Abba, our Father.’
7 Kale kaakano tokyali muddu, wabula oli mwana; era nga bw’oli omwana oli musika ku bwa Katonda.
You, therefore, are no longer a slave, but a son; and, if a son, then an heir also, by God’s appointment.
8 Mmwe bwe mwali temunnamanya Katonda mwabanga baddu ba bitali Katonda.
Yet formerly, in your ignorance of God, you became slaves to ‘gods’ which were no gods.
9 Naye kaakano mutegedde Katonda era naye abategedde, kale muyinza mutya okukyuka, ne mugoberera obulombolombo obunafu obutalina maanyi ne mwagala okufuuka abaddu baabwo?
But now that you have found God – or, rather, have been found by him – how is it that you are turning back to that poor and feeble puerile teaching, to which yet once again you are wanting to become slaves?
10 Mukwata ennaku, n’emyezi, n’ebiro, n’emyaka;
You are scrupulous in keeping days and months and seasons and years!
11 neeraliikirira si kulwa ng’omulimu omunene gwe nakola mu mmwe gwali gwa bwereere.
You make me fear that the labor which I have spent on you may have been wasted.
12 Abooluganda, mbeegayirira mubeere nga nze, kubanga nange ndi nga mmwe. Temulina kabi ke mwankola;
I entreat you, friends, to become like me, as I became like you. You have never done me any wrong.
13 era mumanyi nga mu bunafu obw’omubiri, mmwe be nasooka okubuulira Enjiri.
You remember that it was owing to bodily infirmity that on the first occasion I told you the good news.
14 Naye newaakubadde nga mwandinnyomye olw’obulwadde bwange, temwangobaganya, wabula mwansembeza nga malayika wa Katonda, nga Yesu Kristo.
And as for what must have tried you in my condition, it did not inspire you with scorn or disgust, but you welcomed me as if I had been an angel of God – or Christ Jesus himself!
15 Kale essanyu lyammwe lyadda wa? Kubanga ndi mujulirwa wammwe nti, mwali musobola okuggyamu amaaso gammwe ne mugampa okunnyamba singa kyali kyetaagisa.
What has become then, of your blessings? For I can bear witness that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me!
16 Kale kaakano nfuuse omulabe wammwe olw’okubategeeza amazima?
Am I to think, then, that I have become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 Abo abalabika ng’abaabassaako ennyo omwoyo tebabaagaliza birungi, okuggyako okwagala okubaggalira ebweru, mulyoke mudde ku luuyi lwabwe.
Certain people are seeking your favor, but with no honorable object. No, indeed, they want to isolate you, so that you will have to seek their favor.
18 Naye kirungi okunyiikiranga okukola ebirungi bulijjo, naye si lwe mbeera nammwe lwokka.
It is always honorable to have your favor sought in an honorable cause, and not only when I am with you, my dear children –
19 Baana bange be nnumirwa nate ng’alumwa okuzaala, okutuusa Kristo lw’alibumbibwa mu mmwe,
you for whom I am again enduring a mother’s pains, until a likeness to Christ will have been formed in you.
20 nandyagadde okubeera nammwe kaakano, n’okukyusa eddoboozi lyange kubanga ndi mweraliikirivu ku lwammwe.
But I could wish to be with you now and speak in a different tone, for I am perplexed about you.
21 Mumbulire, mmwe abaagala okufugibwa amateeka, lwaki temuwulira mateeka?
Tell me, you who want to be still subject to Law – Why don’t you listen to the Law?
22 Kubanga kyawandiikibwa nti Ibulayimu yazaala abaana babiri aboobulenzi, omu yamuzaala mu mukazi omuddu, n’omulala n’amuzaala mu mukazi ow’eddembe.
Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one the child of the slave-woman and the other the child of the free woman.
23 Omwana ow’omukazi omuddu yazaalibwa nga wa mubiri, naye omwana ow’omukazi ow’eddembe yazaalibwa lwa kusuubiza.
But the child of the slave-woman was born in the course of nature, while the child of the free woman was born in fulfillment of a promise.
24 Ebyo biri nga bya lugero; kubanga ezo ndagaano bbiri. Emu yava ku Lusozi Sinaayi, ye yazaala abaana ab’obuddu, ye yava mu Agali.
This story may be taken as an allegory. The women stand for two covenants. One covenant, given from Mount Sinai, produces a race of slaves and is represented by Hagar.
25 Agali lwe Lusozi Sinaayi oluli mu Buwalabu, era afaananyirizibwa ne Yerusaalemi eya kaakano kubanga ye ne bazzukulu be bali mu buddu.
Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, and represents the Jerusalem of today, for she and her children are in slavery.
26 Naye Yerusaalemi eky’omu ggulu ye mukazi ow’eddembe, era ye nnyaffe.
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she it is who is our mother.
27 Kubanga kyawandiikibwa nti, “Sanyuka ggwe omugumba atazaala. Leekaanira waggulu mu ddoboozi ery’omwanguka newaakubadde nga tozaalanga ku mwana. Kubanga ndikuwa abaana bangi, abaana abangi okusinga omukazi alina omusajja b’alina.”
For scripture says – ‘Rejoice, you barren one, who have never given birth, break into shouts, you who are never in labor, for many are the children of her who is desolate – yes, more than of her who has a husband.’
28 Naye mmwe abooluganda muli baana abaasuubizibwa, nga Isaaka bwe yali.
As for ourselves, friends, we, like Isaac, are children born in fulfillment of a promise.
29 Naye mu biro biri ng’eyazaalibwa omubiri bwe yayigganya oyo eyazaalibwa Omwoyo, ne kaakano bwe kiri.
Yet at that time the child born in the course of nature persecuted the child born by the power of the Spirit; and it is the same now.
30 Naye Ebyawandiikibwa bigamba bitya? Bigamba nti, “Goba omukazi omuddu n’omwana we, kubanga omwana w’omukazi omuddu talisikira wamu n’omwana w’omukazi ow’eddembe.”
But what does the passage of scripture say? ‘Send away the slave-woman and her son; for the slave’s son will not be coheir with the son of the free woman.’
31 Noolwekyo abooluganda tetuli baana ba mukazi omuddu naye tuli baana ab’omukazi ow’eddembe.
And so, friends, we are not children of a slave, but of her who is free.
