KwabaseGalathiya 4
1 Kodwa ngithi, ngaso sonke isikhathi indlalifa iseyingane, kayehlukananga ngalutho esigqilini lanxa ingumnikazi wakho konke;
To proceed, as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, though he is owner of all,
2 kodwa ingaphansi kwabaphathi lababonisi, kuze kufike isikhathi esamiswa nguyise.
but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.
3 Ngokunjalo lathi, lapho siseyizingane, sasiyizigqili ngaphansi kwemfundiso zakuqala zomhlaba;
Similarly, when we were children we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.
4 kodwa kwathi ukuphelela kwesikhathi sekufikile, uNkulunkulu wathuma iNdodana yakhe, yazalwa ngowesifazana, yenziwa ngaphansi komthetho,
But at just the right time God sent out His Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5 ukuze ihlenge abangaphansi komlayo, ukuze semukele ukuma kwabantwana.
so that He might redeem those under law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 Njengoba lingamadodana, uNkulunkulu wathuma uMoya weNdodana yakhe enhliziyweni zenu, ememeza esithi: Abha, Baba!
And because you are sons, God sent out the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, calling, “Abba, Father”.
7 Ngakho kawuseyiso isigqili, kodwa indodana; njalo uba uyindodana, futhi uyindlalifa kaNkulunkulu ngoKristu.
Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.
8 Kodwa ngalesosikhathi, lingamazi uNkulunkulu, laliyizigqili kulabo abangeyisibo onkulunkulu ngemvelo;
But at one time indeed, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those that by nature are not gods.
9 kodwa khathesi lokhu selimazi uNkulunkulu, yebo kangithi lisaziwa nguNkulunkulu, libuyela njani futhi kumfundiso zakuqala ezibuthakathaka leziyibuyanga, elifuna ukuba yizigqili zazo futhi kakutsha?
But now that you know God—better, are known by God—how can you turn back to those weak, yes decidedly inferior, basic principles, to which you wish to be enslaved all over again?
10 Ligcina izinsuku, lezinyanga lezikhathi, leminyaka.
You are observing days and months and seasons and years.
11 Ngilovalo ngani, hlezi ngitshikatshikele ize kini.
I fear for you, lest somehow I have labored over you in vain.
12 Banini njengami, ngoba lami nginjengani, bazalwane, ngiyalincenga; kalingonanga ngalutho;
Brothers, I plead with you, become as I am, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.
13 liyazi-ke ukuthi ngobuthakathaka benyama ngatshumayela ivangeli kini ngokokuqala,
Rather, you know that I preached the Gospel to you the first time in spite of a physical infirmity.
14 lokulingwa kwami okwakusenyameni yami kalikudelelanga njalo kalikwenyanyanga, kodwa langemukela njengengilosi kaNkulunkulu, njengoKristu Jesu.
Also, you did not despise or recoil at my physical trial, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Ngakho sasiyini isibusiso senu? Ngoba ngiyalifakazela ukuthi, uba kungenzeka, lalingakhupha amehlo enu linginike.
So what about your blessedness? Because I can testify that if it were possible you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.
16 Ngakho sengibeyisitha senu ngokulitshela iqiniso yini?
Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 Bayalitshisekela ngokungekuhle; kodwa bafuna ukulivalela ngaphandle, ukuze litshisekele bona.
They zealously court you—not for good but intending to isolate you, so that you may seek them.
18 Kodwa kuhle ukuthi litshisekelelwe kokuhle isikhathi sonke, njalo kungabi sebukhoneni bami lani kuphela.
Now it is good to be zealous in a good thing at any time, and not only when I am present with you.
19 Bantwana bami abancane, engilomhelo futhi wokulizala aze uKristu abunjwe kini,
My little children, for whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you
20 kodwa bengingathanda ukuba khona lani khathesi, ngiphendule ilizwi lami, ngoba ngididekile ngani.
—I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone; because I am perplexed about you!
21 Ngitshelani, lina elithanda ukuba ngaphansi komlayo, kaliwuzwa yini umlayo?
Tell me, you who desire to be under law, do you not heed that law?
22 Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi uAbrahama wayelamadodana amabili; enye ingeyesigqilikazi, lenye ingeyokhululekileyo.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.
23 Kodwa eyesigqilikazi yazalwa ngokwenyama, kodwa eyokhululekileyo ngesithembiso.
However, the one by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, while the one by the free woman was through the promise.
24 Okuyizinto ezingumzekeliso; ngoba laba bayizivumelwano ezimbili; esinye esentabeni iSinayi, esizalela ebugqilini, esinguAgari.
I will now allegorize them—these are two covenants: one is from Mount Sinai, bearing children into slavery, which is ‘Hagar’
25 Ngoba lokhu, uAgari, kuyintaba iSinayi eseArabhiya, njalo imele iJerusalema yalamuhla, futhi iyisigqili kanye labantwana bayo.
(for this ‘Hagar’ is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present day Jerusalem, and is in slavery with her children);
26 Kodwa iJerusalema ephezulu ikhululekile, engumama wethu sonke;
while the ‘Jerusalem’ that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Thokoza, wena nyumba engazaliyo; kekela umemeze, wena ongawuzwanga umhelo; ngoba abantwana botshiyiweyo banengi okwedlula kakhulu kulaye olendoda.
For it is written: “Rejoice, barren one, who does not give birth; break forth and shout, you who have no labor pains; because the abandoned woman has many more children than she who has the husband.”
28 Kodwa thina, bazalwane, njengoIsaka singabantwana besithembiso.
Now we, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 Kodwa njengakulesosikhathi owazalwa ngokwenyama wamzingela yena ongowakoMoya, kunjalo lakhathesi.
But, it is the same now as it was then: the one born according to flesh persecutes the one born according to Spirit.
30 Kodwa umbhalo uthini? Uthi: Xotsha isigqilikazi lendodana yaso; ngoba indodana yesigqilikazi kayisoze idle ilifa kanye lendodana yokhululekileyo.
However, what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, because the son of the slave woman absolutely must not inherit with the son of the free woman!”
31 Ngakho, bazalwane, kasisibo abantwana besigqilikazi, kodwa bokhululekileyo.
So then, brothers, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.
