< Wagalatia 4 >
1 Lile nisemalo ni kwamba wakati wote mrithi bado ni mtoto, hana tofauti na mtumwa, ingawa ndiye mmiliki wa mali yote.
What I mean is this. As long as the heir is a child, he differs in no respect from a slave, though he be the owner of the whole inheritance;
2 Yeye huwa yuko chini ya uangalizi wa walezi na wadhamini mpaka ufike wakati uliowekwa na baba yake.
but is under the control of guardians and trustees, until the time appointed by his father.
3 Vivyo hivyo na sisi, tulipokuwa bado watoto wadogo, tulikuwa utumwani chini ya taratibu za kawaida za ulimwengu.
So we Jews also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the empty externalities of the world.
4 Lakini ulipowadia utimilifu wa wakati, Mungu alimtuma Mwanawe, ambaye alizaliwa na mwanamke, akazaliwa chini ya sheria,
But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5 kusudi awakomboe wale waliokuwa chini ya sheria, ili tupate kupokea zile haki kamili za kufanywa watoto wa Mungu.
to redeem from captivity those under law, in order that we might receive our sonship.
6 Kwa sababu ninyi ni watoto wa Mungu, Mungu amemtuma Roho wa Mwanawe mioyoni mwetu, anayelia, “Abba, Baba.”
And because you are sons, God sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Dear, dear Father!"
7 Kwa hiyo, wewe si mtumwa tena, bali ni mtoto, kwa kuwa wewe ni mtoto, Mungu amekufanya wewe pia kuwa mrithi kwa kupitia Kristo.
So each one of you is no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir, too, through God’s grace.
8 Zamani, mlipokuwa hammjui Mungu, mlikuwa watumwa wa viumbe ambavyo kwa asili si Mungu.
But once, when you Gentiles had no knowledge of God, you were slaves to gods which have no real being.
9 Lakini sasa kwa kuwa mmemjua Mungu, au zaidi mmejulikana na Mungu, inakuwaje mnarejea tena katika zile kanuni za kwanza zenye udhaifu na upungufu? Mnataka ziwafanye tena watumwa?
Now, however, when you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you are beginning to turn back to those weak and beggarly externalities, eager to be in bondage to them again?
10 Mnaadhimisha siku maalum, miezi, nyakati na miaka!
You are scrupulous, are you, in observing "days" and "months" and "seasons" and "years"?
11 Nina hofu juu yenu, kwamba kazi niliyofanya kwa ajili yenu inaweza kuwa nimejitaabisha bure.
I am alarmed about you for fear lest I may have bestowed labor on you to no purpose.
12 Ndugu zangu, nawasihi mwe kama mimi, kwa sababu mimi nimekuwa kama ninyi. Hamkunitendea jambo lolote baya.
Brothers, I beseech you, become as I am, because I also have become as you are. You never did me any wrong;
13 Ninyi mwajua kwamba ni kwa ajili ya udhaifu wangu niliwahubiria Injili.
on the contrary, you know that although it was illness which brought about my preaching the gospel to you at my first visit,
14 Ingawa hali yangu iliwatia majaribuni, hamkunidharau wala kunidhihaki, bali mlinikaribisha kama malaika wa Mungu, kama vile Kristo Yesu.
and although my bodily affliction was a trial to you, you did not scoff at it nor spurn me, but welcomed me like an angel of God, like Christ Jesus himself.
15 Ile hali ya furaha mliyokuwa nayo imekwenda wapi? Naweza kushuhudia kwamba, kama ingewezekana mngengʼoa macho yenu na kunipa mimi.
Why then did you account yourselves so happy? (For I bear you witness that if you could you would have torn out your own eyes and given them to me.)
16 Je, sasa nimekuwa adui yenu kwa kuwaambia kweli?
Am I then become your enemy, because I am telling you the truth?
17 Hao wana shauku ya kuwapata lakini si kwa kusudi zuri. Wanachotaka ni kuwatenga mbali nasi, ili ninyi mpate kuwaonea wao shauku.
These men are courting your favor to no good purpose. They want to isolate you, so that you will be courting their favor.
18 Ni vizuri wakati wote kuwa na shauku kwa ajili ya kusudi zuri, si wakati nikiwa pamoja nanyi tu.
It is always an honorable thing to have your favor sought in an honorable cause, always, and not only when I am with you.
19 Watoto wangu wapendwa, ambao kwa mara nyingine ninawaonea utungu, ninatamani kwamba Kristo aumbike ndani yenu.
O my little children, of whom I travail again in birth until Christ be formed within you!
20 Natamani kama ningekuwa pamoja nanyi sasa, pengine ningebadilisha sauti yangu. Kwa maana nina wasiwasi kwa ajili yenu.
How I wish I could be with you now, that I might change my tone; for I am perplexed about you.
21 Niambieni, ninyi mnaotaka kuwa chini ya sheria, je, hamjui sheria inavyosema?
Tell me, you who wish to be subject to the Law, why do you not listen to the Law?
22 Kwa maana imeandikwa kwamba Abrahamu alikuwa na wana wawili, mmoja wa mwanamke mtumwa na wa pili wa mwanamke huru.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman;
23 Lakini, mtoto wa mwanamke mtumwa alizaliwa kwa mapenzi ya mwili, na yule mwingine wa mwanamke huru alizaliwa kutokana na ahadi ya Mungu.
but while the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, the son by the free woman was born in fulfilment of a promise.
24 Mambo haya yanaweza kuchukuliwa kama mfano. Kwa maana hao wanawake wawili ni mfano wa maagano mawili: Agano la kwanza, ni lile lililofanyika katika Mlima Sinai, lizaalo watoto wa utumwa. Hili ndilo huyo Hagari.
Now all this is an allegory, for these women are the two covenants; one from Mount Sinai, which is Hagar bearing children into bondage
25 Basi Hagari anawakilisha Mlima Sinai ulioko Arabuni, na unafanana na Yerusalemu ya sasa ambayo iko utumwani pamoja na watoto wake.
(for the word Hagar stands for Mt. Sinai in Arabia and represents the present Jerusalem who with her children is in bondage.)
26 Lakini Yerusalemu wa juu ni huru, nayo ndiye mama yetu.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
27 Kwa maana imeandikwa: “Furahi, ewe mwanamke tasa, wewe usiyezaa; paza sauti, na kuimba kwa furaha, wewe usiyepatwa na utungu wa kuzaa; kwa maana watoto wa mwanamke aliyeachwa ukiwa ni wengi kuliko wa mwanamke mwenye mume.”
For it is written, Rejoice, O thou barren one who dost never bear, Break forth in joy, thou that dost not travail; For the children of the desolate woman are many. Yea, more than hers who has a husband.
28 Basi, sisi ndugu zangu, ni kama Isaki, tu watoto wa ahadi.
But you, brothers, are like Isaac, children of the promise;
29 Lakini, kama vile ilivyokuwa siku zile yule aliyezaliwa kwa mwili alivyomchokoza yule aliyezaliwa kwa Roho, ndivyo ilivyo hata sasa.
but just as in old times the son born by the flesh used to persecute the son born by the power of the Spirit, so also it is now.
30 Lakini Maandiko yasemaje? “Mwondoe mwanamke mtumwa pamoja na mwanawe, kwa sababu mwana wa mwanamke mtumwa kamwe hatarithi pamoja na mwana wa aliye huru.”
But what does the Scripture say? Send away the slave-woman and her son; for the slave’s son shall not be heir along with the son of the free woman.
31 Kwa hiyo ndugu zangu, sisi si watoto wa mwanamke mtumwa, bali wa yule aliye huru.
So, brothers, we are the children of no slave woman, but of free woman. For freedom did not Christ set us free;