KwabaseGalathiya 3

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

Foolish Galatians! Who has put a spell on you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly displayed as crucified.

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

This is the only thing I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?

3 Kanti liyizithutha kangaka? Liqale ngoMoya selipheleliswa ngenyama yini?

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now going to finish by the flesh?

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

Have you suffered so many things for nothing—if indeed it was for nothing?

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

Does he who gives the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by the works of the law, or by hearing with 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.

in the same way, understand, then, that those of faith are the children of Abraham.

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

The scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.”

9 Ngakho abangabokholo babusiswa kanye loAbrahama okholwayo.

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

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

All who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; and so it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the law, and do them.”

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

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

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

But the law is not of faith, rather, “The person who does the works of the law must 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 by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs 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 Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

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

Brothers, let me speak in human terms. In a man-made contract, no one can set it aside or add to it, once it is established by law.

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

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. It does not say, “to descendants,” referring to many, but instead to only one, “and to your descendant,” 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.

Now what I mean is this: The law, which came 430 years afterward, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God.

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

For if the inheritance comes by the law, then it no longer comes by promise. But God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

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

What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of trespasses, until the descendant of Abraham would come to whom the promise had been made. The law was put into force through angels by a mediator.

20 Kodwa umlamuli kayisuye woyedwa, kodwa uNkulunkulu munye.

Now a mediator implies more than one person, but God is one.

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

So is the law against the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.

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

But the scripture imprisoned everything under sin. God did this so that the promise to save us 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 faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until faith should be revealed.

24 Ngakho umlayo wawungumeluleki wethu kuKristu, ukuze silungisiswe ngokholo;

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

25 kodwa selufikile ukholo, kasisekho ngaphansi kukameluleki.

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

26 Ngoba lonke lingabantwana bakaNkulunkulu ngokholo kuKristu Jesu.

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

27 Ngoba lonke elabhabhathizelwa kuKristu, lembethe uKristu;

For as many of you who 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 neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

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

Then if you are Christ's, you are Abraham's descendants, and heirs according to promise.