Wagalatia 4
1 Basi, nasema hivi: mrithi, akiwa bado mtoto, hawi tofauti na mtumwa ingawaje mali yote ni yake.
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 Wakati huo wote yuko chini ya walezi na wadhamini mpaka wakati ule uliowekwa na baba yake.
but is under the control of guardians and trustees, until the time appointed by his father.
3 Hali kadhalika na sisi tulipokuwa bado watoto, tulikuwa watumwa wa pepo watawala wa ulimwengu.
So we Jews also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the empty externalities of the world.
4 Lakini wakati ule maalumu ulipotimia, Mungu alimtuma Mwanawe aliyezaliwa na mwanamke, akaishi chini ya Sheria
But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5 apate kuwakomboa wale waliokuwa chini ya Sheria ili sisi tufanywe wana wa Mungu.
to redeem from captivity those under law, in order that we might receive our sonship.
6 Kwa vile sasa ninyi ni wana, Mungu amemtuma Roho wa Mwanae mioyoni mwenu, Roho ambaye hulia “Aba,” yaani “Baba.”
And because you are sons, God sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Dear, dear Father!"
7 Basi, wewe si mtumwa tena, bali mwana. Na ikiwa ni mwana, basi, wewe utapokea yote Mungu aliyowawekea watoto wake.
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 hamkumjua Mungu na hivyo mkatumikia miungu isiyo miungu kweli.
But once, when you Gentiles had no knowledge of God, you were slaves to gods which have no real being.
9 Lakini sasa, kwa vile mnamjua Mungu, au tuseme mnajulikana na Mungu, mnawezaje tena kurudi kwa wale pepo maskini na dhaifu hata kutaka kuwatumikia 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 Bado mnaadhimisha siku, miezi na miaka!
You are scrupulous, are you, in observing "days" and "months" and "seasons" and "years"?
11 Nahofu kwamba labda kazi niliyoifanya kwa ajili yenu imepotea bure!
I am alarmed about you for fear lest I may have bestowed labor on you to no purpose.
12 Ndugu, nawasihi muwe kama mimi, kwa vile hata mimi nimekuwa kama ninyi. Hamkunitendea ubaya wowote.
Brothers, I beseech you, become as I am, because I also have become as you are. You never did me any wrong;
13 Mnajua kwamba ugonjwa wangu ndio ulionipatia fursa ya kuwahubirieni Habari Njema 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 Hata hivyo, wakati ule hamkunidharau wala kunikataa kwa sababu ya udhaifu wangu ingawa mlishawishiwa kufanya hivyo; lakini mlinipokea kama malaika wa Mungu, kama vile ningekuwa 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 Mlikuwa wenye furaha; sasa kumetokea nini? Naapa kwamba wakati ule mngaliweza hata kuyang'oa 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 sababu ya kuwaambieni ukweli?
Am I then become your enemy, because I am telling you the truth?
17 Hao watu wengine wanawahangaikia ninyi, lakini nia zao si njema. Wanataka kuwatenganisha nami ili ninyi muwahangaikie wao.
These men are courting your favor to no good purpose. They want to isolate you, so that you will be courting their favor.
18 Kwa kweli ni jambo jema daima kuwahangaikia wengine katika mambo mema, na si tu wakati mimi nipo 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 Watoto wangu, kama vile mama mja mzito anavyotaabika wakati wa kujifungua, mimi nataabika tena kwa ajili yenu mpaka hapo hali yake Kristo itakapoundwa ndani yenu.
O my little children, of whom I travail again in birth until Christ be formed within you!
20 Laiti ningekuwa pamoja nanyi sasa, maana ningalipata msimamo ufaao juu yenu! Nina wasiwasi sana nanyi!
How I wish I could be with you now, that I might change my tone; for I am perplexed about you.
21 Niambieni, enyi mnaopenda kutawaliwa na sheria: Je, mnasikia isemavyo Sheria?
Tell me, you who wish to be subject to the Law, why do you not listen to the Law?
22 Imeandikwa katika Maandiko Matakatifu kwamba Abrahamu alikuwa na watoto wawili: mmoja kwa mwanamke mtumwa, na wa pili kwa mwanamke huru.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman;
23 Yule wa mwanamke mtumwa alizaliwa kama kawaida, lakini yule 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 hayo yamekuwa mfano; mama hao wawili ni mfano wa maagano mawili; la kwanza ni lile lililofanyika mlimani Sinai, mwakilishi wake ni Hagari, na watoto wake wanazaliwa utumwani.
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 Hagari anawakilisha mlima Sinai ulioko Arabia, na ni mfano wa Yerusalemu ya sasa, ulio 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 Lakini Yerusalemu ya juu mbinguni ni mji ulio huru, nao ni mama yetu.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
27 Maana imeandikwa: “Furahi, ewe uliye tasa usiyezaa; paaza sauti wewe usiyepata kujifungua mtoto; maana watoto wa yule aliyeachwa ni wengi zaidi kuliko wa yule aliye na 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, basi, ndugu zangu, ninyi ni watoto wa Mungu kutokana na ahadi yake kama alivyokuwa Isaka.
But you, brothers, are like Isaac, children of the promise;
29 Lakini kama vile siku zile yule mtoto aliyezaliwa kwa njia ya kawaida alimdhulumu yule aliyezaliwa kwa uwezo wa Roho wa Mungu, vivyo hivyo na siku hizi.
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 Matakatifu yasemaje? Yasema: “Mfukuze mama mtumwa pamoja na mwanawe; maana mtoto wa mtumwa hatarithi pamoja na mtoto wa mama 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, basi, ndugu, sisi si watoto wa mtumwa bali wa mama huru.
So, brothers, we are the children of no slave woman, but of free woman. For freedom did not Christ set us free;
