KwabaseGalathiya 3

1 Hawu maGalathiya ayizithutha, ngubani oliloyileyo ukuze lingalaleli iqiniso, lina abekwa obala phambi kwamehlo enu uJesu Kristu, ebethelwe phakathi kwenu?

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you not be persuaded by the Truth—Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as having been crucified, before your very eyes!

2 Yilokhu kuphela engithanda ukukufunda kini ukuthi: Lemukela uMoya ngemisebenzi yomlayo yini, loba ngokuzwa kokholo?

Just tell me one thing: Did you receive the Spirit by works of law, or by hearing of faith?

3 Kanti liyizithutha kangaka? Liqale ngoMoya selipheleliswa ngenyama yini?

Can you be so foolish? Having begun in spirit, do you finish in flesh?

4 Lahlupheka izinto ezinengi kangaka ngeze yini? Uba-ke ngitsho ngeze.

Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing?

5 Ngakho yena olinika uMoya losebenza imisebenzi yamandla phakathi kwenu, kungaba ngemisebenzi yomlayo yini, kumbe ngokuzwa kokholo?

Furthermore, He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, is He activated by works of law, or by hearing of faith?—

6 NjengoAbrahama wakholwa kuNkulunkulu, kwabalelwa-ke kuye ukuthi yikulunga.

just as Abraham ‘believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.’

7 Ngakho liyazi ukuthi labo abangabokholo, bona bangabantwana bakaAbrahama.

Now you must know that only those who are of faith are ‘sons’ of Abraham.

8 Lombhalo, ubona ngaphambili ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulungisisa abezizwe ngokholo, watshumayela ivangeli ngaphambili kuAbrahama wathi: Izizwe zonke zizabusiswa kuwe.

Further, the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, proclaimed the Gospel in advance to Abraham: “All the nations will be blessed through you.”

9 Ngakho abangabokholo babusiswa kanye loAbrahama okholwayo.

So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the faithful.

10 Ngoba bonke abemisebenzi yomlayo bangaphansi kwesiqalekiso; ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Uqalekisiwe wonke ongaqhubeki kukho konke okulotshiweyo encwadini yomlayo ukukwenza.

Now as many as are ‘by works of law’ are under a curse; because it stands written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things written in the Book of the Law, to do them.”

11 Kodwa kusobala ukuthi ngomlayo kakulamuntu olungisiswayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngoba: Olungileyo uzaphila ngokholo;

Further, it is evident that no one is justified by law before God, because “the righteous one will live by faith.”

12 kodwa umlayo kawusiwo wokholo, kodwa kuthiwa: Umuntu owenza lezizinto uzaphila kuzo.

While the law is not of faith but, “the man who does them will live by them.”

13 UKristu wasihlenga kusiqalekiso somlayo, esenziwe waba yisiqalekiso esikhundleni sethu; ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Uqalekisiwe wonke olenga esihlahleni;

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse in our place—because it stands written, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree”—

14 ukuze kuthi isibusiso sikaAbrahama sifike kwabezizwe ngoKristu Jesu, ukuze semukele isithembiso sikaMoya ngokholo.

so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the nations/Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through the faith.

15 Bazalwane, ngikhuluma njengokomuntu; ngitsho isivumelwano somuntu esiqinisiweyo, kakho osichithayo loba osengezelelayo.

Brothers: as a man I speak a covenant; though only of a man, once it has been ratified no one annuls or adds to it.

16 Njalo izithembiso zakhulunywa kuAbrahama lenzalweni yakhe. Katsho ukuthi: Lezinzalweni, njengokungathi zinengi, kodwa njengokungathi ngeyodwa ukuthi: Lenzalweni yakho, enguKristu.

But to Abraham were spoken the promises, and to his Seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as about many, but “and to your seed,” as about one, who is Christ.

17 Lalokho ngiyakutsho: Umlayo oweza emva kweminyaka engamakhulu amane lamatshumi amathathu kawusesuli isivumelwano esaqiniswa nguNkulunkulu kuKristu ngaphambili, ukuze usenze isithembiso sibe yize.

Further, I say this: a covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ cannot be annulled by the law that came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to make the promise of no effect.

18 Ngoba uba ilifa livela emlayweni, alisaveli esithembisweni; kodwa uNkulunkulu walinika uAbrahama ngesithembiso.

For if the inheritance were of law, it would no longer be of promise, but God granted it to Abraham by promise.

19 Pho, umlayo uyini? Wengezwa ngenxa yeziphambeko, kuze kufike inzalo eyanikwa isithembiso; wamiswa ngezingilosi esandleni somlamuli.

Why then the law? It was added on account of the transgressions, until the Seed should come to whom the inheritance had been promised; and it was ordered through angels by the hand of a mediator.

20 Kodwa umlamuli kayisuye woyedwa, kodwa uNkulunkulu munye.

(Now that mediator is not for just one, but God is one.)

21 Pho umlayo uphambene lezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu yini? Phinde! Ngoba uba wawunikiwe umlayo olamandla okuphilisa, isibili ukulunga ngabe kuvela ngomlayo.

Is the law then against the promises of God? Of course not! Rather, if a law had been given that was capable of imparting life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.

22 Kodwa umbhalo uvalele konke ngaphansi kwesono, ukuze isithembiso ngokholo lukaJesu Kristu siphiwe abakholwayo.

But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23 Kodwa kungakafiki ukholo, sasilondolozwe ngaphansi komlayo, sivalelwe kuze kube sekholweni obeluzakwembulwa.

Now before this faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, in confinement until the coming faith was revealed.

24 Ngakho umlayo wawungumeluleki wethu kuKristu, ukuze silungisiswe ngokholo;

So then, the law became our guardian until Christ, so that we might be justified by faith.

25 kodwa selufikile ukholo, kasisekho ngaphansi kukameluleki.

Now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

26 Ngoba lonke lingabantwana bakaNkulunkulu ngokholo kuKristu Jesu.

So all of you are sons of God through the faith in Christ Jesus.

27 Ngoba lonke elabhabhathizelwa kuKristu, lembethe uKristu;

As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ

28 kakukho umJuda lomGriki, kakukho obotshiweyo lokhululekileyo, kakukho owesilisa lowesifazana; ngoba lina lonke limunye kuKristu Jesu.

—there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no ‘male and female’; all of you are one in Christ Jesus—

29 Uba-ke lingabakaKristu, ngakho liyinzalo kaAbrahama, njalo liyizindlalifa njengokwesithembiso.

so if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.