Wagalatia 4
1 Ninasema kwamba maadamu mrithi ni mtoto, hana tofauti na mtumwa, hata ingawa ni 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 Badala yake, yuko chini ya waangalizi na wadhamini mpaka wakati uliowekwa na baba yake.
but is under the control of guardians and trustees, until the time appointed by his father.
3 Kadhalika pia na sisi, tulipokuwa watoto, tulishikiliwa katika utumwa wa kanuni za kwanza za ulimwengu.
So we Jews also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the empty externalities of the world.
4 Lakini wakati sahihi ulipofika, Mungu alimtuma mwanawe, mzaliwa wa mwanamke, mzaliwa chini ya sheria.
But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5 Alifanya hivi ili kuwakomboa wale waliokuwa chini ya sheria, ili kwamba tupokee hali ya kuwa kama wana.
to redeem from captivity those under law, in order that we might receive our sonship.
6 Kwa sababu ninyi ni wana, Mungu alimtuma Roho wa mwanawe ndani ya mioyo yetu, Roho aitaye, “Abba, Baba.”
And because you are sons, God sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Dear, dear Father!"
7 Kwa sababu hii wewe si mtumwa tena bali mwana. Kama ni mwana, basi wewe pia ni mrithi kupitia Mungu.
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 Hata kabla, wakati hamkumjua Mungu, mlikuwa watumwa kwa wale ambao kwa asili si miungu kabisa.
But once, when you Gentiles had no knowledge of God, you were slaves to gods which have no real being.
9 Lakini sasa kwamba mnamjua Mungu, au kwamba mnajulikana na Mungu, kwa nini mnarudi tena kwenye kanuni dhaifu za kwanza na zisizo za thamani? Je mnataka kuwa watumwa tena?
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 Mnashika kwa uangalifu siku maalumu, miandamo ya miezi, majira, na miaka. Ninaogopa kwa ajili yenu.
You are scrupulous, are you, in observing "days" and "months" and "seasons" and "years"?
11 Ninaogopa kwamba kwa namna fulani nimejitaabisha bure.
I am alarmed about you for fear lest I may have bestowed labor on you to no purpose.
12 Ninawasihi, ndugu, muwe kama nilivyo, kwa kuwa pia nimekuwa kama mlivyo. Hamkunikosea.
Brothers, I beseech you, become as I am, because I also have become as you are. You never did me any wrong;
13 Bali mnajua kwamba ilikuwa ni kwa sababu ya ugonjwa wa mwili kwamba nilihubiri injili kwenu kwa mara ya kwanza.
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 ya mwili iliwaweka katika jaribu, hamkunidharau au kunikataa. Badala yake mlinipokea kama malaika wa Mungu, kana kwamba nilikuwa Kristo Yesu mwenyewe.
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 Kwa hiyo, iko wapi sasa furaha yenu? kwa kuwa ninashuhudia kwenu kwamba, ikiwezekana, mungelin'goa 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 Hivyo sasa, je nimekuwa adui yenu kwa sababu ninawaambia ukweli?
Am I then become your enemy, because I am telling you the truth?
17 Wanawatafuta kwa shauku, bali si kwa mema. Wanataka kuwatenganisha ninyi na mimi ili muwafuate.
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 vyema daima kuwa na shauku kwa sababu zilizo njema, na si tu wakati ninapokuwa pamoja nanyi.
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 Wanangu wadogo, ninaumwa uchungu kwa ajili yenu tena mpaka Kristo aumbike ndani yenu.
O my little children, of whom I travail again in birth until Christ be formed within you!
20 Ningependa kuwepo pale pamoja nanyi sasa na kugeuza sauti yangu, kwa sababu ninamashaka juu 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 ambao mnatamani kuwa chini ya sheria, hamsikii sheria isemavyo?
Tell me, you who wish to be subject to the Law, why do you not listen to the Law?
22 Kwa kuwa imeandikwa kwamba Abrahamu alikuwa na wana wa kiume wawili, mmoja kwa yule mwanamke mtumwa na mwingine kwa mwanamke huru.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman;
23 Hata hivyo, yule wa mtumwa alizaliwa kwa mwili tu, bali yule wa mwanamke huru alizaliwa kwa ahadi.
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 kuelezwa kwa kutumia mfano, kwa kuwa wanawake hawa wanafanana na maagano mawili. Mojawapo kutoka katika mlima Sinai. Huzaa watoto ambao ni watumwa. huyu ni Hajiri.
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 Sasa Hajiri ni mlima Sinai ulioko Arabuni. Hufananishwa na Yerusalem ya sasa, kwa kuwa ni mtumwa 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 Bali Yerusalemu ambayo iko juu ni huru, na hii ndiyo mama yetu.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
27 Kwa kuwa imeandikwa, “Furahi, wewe mwanamke uliye tasa, wewe usiye zaa. Paza sauti na upige kelele kwa furaha, wewe ambaye huna uzoefu wa kuzaa. kwa maana wengi ni watoto wa aliye tasa, zaidi ya wale wa yule ambaye ana 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 Sasa ndugu, kama Isaka, ninyi ni watoto wa ahadi.
But you, brothers, are like Isaac, children of the promise;
29 Kwa wakati ule ambao mtu ambaye alizaliwa kwa mujibu wa mwili alimtesa yule aliyezaliwa kwa mujibu wa Roho. Kwa sasa ni vilevile.
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 Maandiko husemaje? “Muondoe mwanamke mtumwa pamoja na mwanawe wa kiume. Kwa kuwa mtoto wa mwanamke mtumwa hatarithi pamoja na mtoto wa mwanamke 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, sisi si watoto wa mwanamke mtumwa, bali ni wa mwanamke huru.
So, brothers, we are the children of no slave woman, but of free woman. For freedom did not Christ set us free;
