Wagalatia 3
1 Enyi Wagalatia, mmekuwa wajinga kweli! Ni nani aliyewaloga? Habari juu ya kusulubiwa kwake Yesu Kristo ilielezwa waziwazi mbele ya macho yenu.
Foolish Galatians! Who has been fascinating you — you before whose very eyes Jesus Christ was depicted upon the cross?
2 Napenda kujua tu kitu kimoja kutoka kwenu: Je, mlipokea Roho wa Mungu kwa sababu ya kutimiza matakwa ya Sheria ama kwa sababu ya kuisikia na kuiamini Habari Njema?
Here is the one thing that I want to find out from you — Did you receive the Spirit as the result of obedience to Law, or of your having listened with faith?
3 Je, mu wajinga kiasi hicho? Ninyi mlianza yote kwa msaada wa Roho je, mnataka sasa kumaliza kwa nguvu zenu wenyewe?
Can you be so foolish? After beginning with what is spiritual, do you now end with what is external?
4 Je, mambo yale yote yaliyowapata ninyi yamekuwa bure tu? Haiwezekani!
Did you go through so much to no purpose? — if indeed it really was to no purpose!
5 Je, Mungu huwajalia Roho na kutenda miujiza kati yenu ati kwa sababu mnatimiza yanayotakiwa na sheria, ama kwa sababu mnasikia Habari Njema na kuiamini?
He who supplies you abundantly with his Spirit and endows you with such powers — does he do this as the result of obedience to Law? or as the result of your having listened with faith?
6 Chukueni kwa mfano habari za Abrahamu: yeye alimwamini Mungu, naye Mungu akamkubali kuwa mwadilifu.
It is just as it was with Abraham — ‘He had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
7 Sasa basi jueni kwamba watu wenye kumwamini ndio walio watoto halisi wa Abrahamu.
You see, then, that those whose lives are based on faith are the Sons of Abraham.
8 Maandiko Matakatifu yalionyesha kabla kwamba Mungu atawakubali watu wa mataifa kuwa waadilifu kwa njia ya imani. Hivyo Maandiko Matakatifu yalitangulia kumtangazia Abrahamu Habari Njema: “Katika wewe mataifa yote yatabarikiwa.”
And Scripture, foreseeing that God would pronounce the Gentiles righteous as the result of faith, foretold the Good News to Abraham in the words — ‘Through thee all the Gentiles shall be blessed.’
9 Basi, wale walio na imani wanabarikiwa pamoja na Abrahamu aliyeamini.
And, therefore, those whose lives are based on faith share the blessings bestowed upon the faith of Abraham.
10 Lakini wote wanaotegemea tu kutimiza yanayotakiwa na Sheria, wako chini ya laana. Maana, Maandiko Matakatifu yasema: “Yeyote asiyeshika na kutimiza yote yaliyoandikwa katika kitabu cha Sheria, yuko chini ya laana.”
All who rely upon obedience to Law are under a curse, for Scripture says — ‘Cursed is every one who does not abide by all that is written in the Book of the Law, and do it.’
11 Ni dhahiri kwamba Sheria haiwezi kumfanya mtu akubaliwe kuwa mwadilifu; maana Maandiko Matakatifu yasema: “Mwadilifu kwa imani ataishi.”
Again, it is evident that no one is pronounced righteous before God through Law, for we read — ‘Through faith the righteous man shall find Life.’
12 Lakini Sheria haitegemei imani, ila Maandiko yasema: “Mwenye kutimiza yanayotakiwa na Sheria ataishi.”
But the Law is not based on faith; no, its words are — ‘Those who practice these precepts will find Life through them.’
13 Kristo alitukomboa kutoka katika laana ya Sheria kwa kujitwalia laana hiyo kwa ajili yetu; maana Maandiko yanasema: “Yeyote aliyetundikwa msalabani amelaaniwa.”
Christ ransomed us from the curse pronounced in the Law, by taking the curse on himself for us, for Scripture says — ‘Cursed is any one who is hanged on a tree.’
14 Jambo hili lilifanyika kusudi ile baraka aliyopewa Abrahamu iwashukie watu wa mataifa mengine kwa njia ya Kristo, na ili kwa imani, tumpokee yule Roho ambaye Mungu alituahidia.
And this he did that the blessing given to Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through their union with Jesus Christ; that so, through our faith, we also might receive the promised gift of the Spirit.
15 Ndugu, nitawapeni mfano kutoka maisha yetu ya kila siku. Fikirini juu ya mkataba kati ya watu wawili. Mkataba ukisha fanyika na kutiwa sahihi hapana mtu anayeuweka kando au kuuongezea kitu.
To take an illustration, Brothers, from daily life — No one sets aside even an agreement between two men, when once it has been confirmed, nor does he add conditions to it.
16 Basi, Abrahamu alipewa ahadi, yeye pamoja na mzawa wake. Maandiko hayasemi: “Na wazawa wake,” yaani wengi, bali yasema, “Na mzawa wake,” yaani mmoja, naye ndiye Kristo.
Now it was to Abraham that the promises were made, ‘and to his offspring.’ It was not said ‘to his offsprings,’ as if many persons were meant, but the words were ‘to thy offspring,’ showing that one person was meant — and that was Christ.
17 Ninachotaka kusema ni hiki: Mungu alifanya agano lake akalithibitisha; Sheria ambayo ilitokea miaka mia nne na thelathini baadaye, haiwezi kulitangua hilo agano wala kuibatilisha hiyo ahadi.
My point is this — An agreement already confirmed by God cannot be canceled by the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to cause the promise to be set aside.
18 Maana, kama urithi ya Mungu inategemea Sheria, basi, haiwezi kutegemea tena ahadi ya Mungu. Kumbe, lakini Mungu alimkirimia Abrahamu kwa sababu aliahidi.
If our heritage is the result of Law, then it has ceased to be the result of a promise. Yet God conferred it on Abraham by a promise.
19 Ya nini basi, Sheria? Iliongezwa hapo ili kuonyesha uhalifu ni kitu gani, mpaka atakapokuja yule mzawa wa Abrahamu aliyepewa ile ahadi. Sheria ililetwa na malaika kwa mkono wa mpatanishi.
What, then, you ask, was the use of the Law? It was a later addition, to make men conscious of their wrong-doings, and intended to last only till the coming of that ‘offspring’ to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by a mediator.
20 Ama hakika, mpatanishi hahitajiwi ikiwa jambo lenyewe lamhusu mtu mmoja; na Mungu ni mmoja.
Now mediation implies more than one person, but God is one only.
21 Je, Sheria inapingana na ahadi za Mungu? Hata kidogo! Maana, kama kungalitolewa sheria ambayo ingeweza kuwapa watu uzima, basi, tungeweza kukubaliwa kuwa waadilifu kwa njia ya Sheria.
Does that set the Law in opposition to God’s promises? Heaven forbid! For, if a Law had been given capable of bestowing Life, then righteousness would have actually owed its existence to Law.
22 Lakini sivyo; Maandiko Matakatifu yamekwisha sema kwamba ulimwengu wote upo chini ya utawala wa dhambi; na hivyo, kwa kumwamini Yesu Kristo, wenye kuamini watimiziwe ile ahadi.
But the words of Scripture represent the whole world as being in bondage to sin, so that the promised blessing, dependent, as it is, upon faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who have faith in him.
23 Kabla ya kujaliwa imani, Sheria ilitufanya wafungwa mpaka imani hiyo iliyokuwa inakuja ifunuliwe.
Before the coming of faith, we were kept under the guard of the Law, in bondage, awaiting the Faith that was destined to be revealed.
24 Basi, hiyo Sheria ilikuwa kama mlezi wetu mpaka alipokuja Kristo, ili kwa njia ya imani, tukubaliwe kuwa waadilifu.
Thus the Law has proved a guide to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.
25 Tangu kufika kwa hiyo imani, Sheria si mlezi wetu tena.
But now that faith has come we no longer need a guide.
26 Kwa njia ya imani, ninyi nyote mmekuwa watoto wa Mungu katika kuungana na Kristo.
For you are all Sons of God, through your faith in Christ Jesus.
27 Ninyi nyote mliobatizwa mkaungana na Kristo ni kama vile mmemvaa Kristo.
For all of you who were baptized into union with Christ clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 Hivyo, hakuna tena tofauti kati ya Myahudi na Mgiriki, mtumwa na mtu huru, mwanamume na mwanamke. Nyote ni kitu kimoja katika kuungana na Kristo Yesu.
All distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and freeman, male and female, have vanished; for in union with Christ Jesus you are all one.
29 Ikiwa ninyi ni wa Kristo, basi ni wazawa wa Abrahamu, na mtapokea yale aliyoahidi Mungu.
And, since you belong to Christ, it follows that you are Abraham’s offspring and, under the promise, sharers in the inheritance.
