KwabaseGalathiya 4
1 Kodwa ngithi, ngaso sonke isikhathi indlalifa iseyingane, kayehlukananga ngalutho esigqilini lanxa ingumnikazi wakho konke;
Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth in no respect from a bond-servant, though he is lord 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;
So also we, when we were children, were in bondage under the rudiments of the world;
4 kodwa kwathi ukuphelela kwesikhathi sekufikile, uNkulunkulu wathuma iNdodana yakhe, yazalwa ngowesifazana, yenziwa ngaphansi komthetho,
but when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
5 ukuze ihlenge abangaphansi komlayo, ukuze semukele ukuma kwabantwana.
to redeem those under the Law, that we might be adopted as sons.
6 Njengoba lingamadodana, uNkulunkulu wathuma uMoya weNdodana yakhe enhliziyweni zenu, ememeza esithi: Abha, Baba!
And to show that ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father!
7 Ngakho kawuseyiso isigqili, kodwa indodana; njalo uba uyindodana, futhi uyindlalifa kaNkulunkulu ngoKristu.
So then thou art no longer a bond-servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
8 Kodwa ngalesosikhathi, lingamazi uNkulunkulu, laliyizigqili kulabo abangeyisibo onkulunkulu ngemvelo;
But at that time, indeed, when ye knew not God, ye were in slavery to those who in their 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, after having known God, or rather having been known by God, how is it that ye are turning back to the weak and beggarly rudiments to which ye wish to be again in bondage?
10 Ligcina izinsuku, lezinyanga lezikhathi, leminyaka.
Do ye observe days, and months, and times, and years?
11 Ngilovalo ngani, hlezi ngitshikatshikele ize kini.
I fear for you, lest I may have bestowed upon you labor in vain.
12 Banini njengami, ngoba lami nginjengani, bazalwane, ngiyalincenga; kalingonanga ngalutho;
Brethren, I beseech you, become as I am, for I also have become as ye are; ye injured me in nothing.
13 liyazi-ke ukuthi ngobuthakathaka benyama ngatshumayela ivangeli kini ngokokuqala,
Nay, ye know that it was on account of an infirmity of the flesh that I preached the gospel to you the former time,
14 lokulingwa kwami okwakusenyameni yami kalikudelelanga njalo kalikwenyanyanga, kodwa langemukela njengengilosi kaNkulunkulu, njengoKristu Jesu.
and my trial which was in my flesh ye did not despise nor spurn; but received me as an angel of God, yea, as Christ Jesus.
15 Ngakho sasiyini isibusiso senu? Ngoba ngiyalifakazela ukuthi, uba kungenzeka, lalingakhupha amehlo enu linginike.
How great then was your boasting of happiness! for I bear you witness, that if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Ngakho sengibeyisitha senu ngokulitshela iqiniso yini?
So then, have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17 Bayalitshisekela ngokungekuhle; kodwa bafuna ukulivalela ngaphandle, ukuze litshisekele bona.
They show a zeal for you, but not in honesty; yea, they wish to exclude you, that ye may be zealous for them.
18 Kodwa kuhle ukuthi litshisekelelwe kokuhle isikhathi sonke, njalo kungabi sebukhoneni bami lani kuphela.
But it is good to be an object of zeal in what is good always, and not only when I am present with you.
19 Bantwana bami abancane, engilomhelo futhi wokulizala aze uKristu abunjwe kini,
My children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you, —
20 kodwa bengingathanda ukuba khona lani khathesi, ngiphendule ilizwi lami, ngoba ngididekile ngani.
I could wish indeed to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am in perplexity about you.
21 Ngitshelani, lina elithanda ukuba ngaphansi komlayo, kaliwuzwa yini umlayo?
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law, do ye not hear the Law?
22 Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi uAbrahama wayelamadodana amabili; enye ingeyesigqilikazi, lenye ingeyokhululekileyo.
For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by the bondwoman, the other by the freewoman.
23 Kodwa eyesigqilikazi yazalwa ngokwenyama, kodwa eyokhululekileyo ngesithembiso.
But the one by the bondwoman was born after the flesh; while the one by the freewoman was through the promise.
24 Okuyizinto ezingumzekeliso; ngoba laba bayizivumelwano ezimbili; esinye esentabeni iSinayi, esizalela ebugqilini, esinguAgari.
Which things are written allegorically; for these women are two covenants; the one from Mount Sinai, who beareth children into bondage, which is Hagar;
25 Ngoba lokhu, uAgari, kuyintaba iSinayi eseArabhiya, njalo imele iJerusalema yalamuhla, futhi iyisigqili kanye labantwana bayo.
for the word Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; and she corresponds to the Jerusalem now existing, for she is in bondage with her children;
26 Kodwa iJerusalema ephezulu ikhululekile, engumama wethu sonke;
but the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
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, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for many are the children of the desolate one, rather than of her who hath the husband.”
28 Kodwa thina, bazalwane, njengoIsaka singabantwana besithembiso.
But ye, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of a promise.
29 Kodwa njengakulesosikhathi owazalwa ngokwenyama wamzingela yena ongowakoMoya, kunjalo lakhathesi.
But as at that time he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born through the Spirit, so it is now.
30 Kodwa umbhalo uthini? Uthi: Xotsha isigqilikazi lendodana yaso; ngoba indodana yesigqilikazi kayisoze idle ilifa kanye lendodana yokhululekileyo.
But what saith the scripture? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”
31 Ngakho, bazalwane, kasisibo abantwana besigqilikazi, kodwa bokhululekileyo.
So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the freewoman.
