Wagalatia 4
1 Basi, nasema hivi: mrithi, akiwa bado mtoto, hawi tofauti na mtumwa ingawaje mali yote ni yake.
But I say, that the heir, so long as he is a child, differeth not from a servant, although he is lord of all;
2 Wakati huo wote yuko chini ya walezi na wadhamini mpaka wakati ule uliowekwa na baba yake.
but he is under supervisors and stewards, until the time established by his father.
3 Hali kadhalika na sisi tulipokuwa bado watoto, tulikuwa watumwa wa pepo watawala wa ulimwengu.
So also we, while we were children, were in subordination under the elements of the world.
4 Lakini wakati ule maalumu ulipotimia, Mungu alimtuma Mwanawe aliyezaliwa na mwanamke, akaishi chini ya Sheria
But when the consummation of the time arrived, God sent forth his Son; and he was from a woman, and was under the law;
5 apate kuwakomboa wale waliokuwa chini ya Sheria ili sisi tufanywe wana wa Mungu.
that he might redeem them that were under the law; and that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 Kwa vile sasa ninyi ni wana, Mungu amemtuma Roho wa Mwanae mioyoni mwenu, Roho ambaye hulia “Aba,” yaani “Baba.”
And, because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, who crieth, Father, our Father.
7 Basi, wewe si mtumwa tena, bali mwana. Na ikiwa ni mwana, basi, wewe utapokea yote Mungu aliyowawekea watoto wake.
Wherefore, ye are no longer servants, but sons; and if sons, then heirs of God; through Jesus the Messiah.
8 Zamani hamkumjua Mungu na hivyo mkatumikia miungu isiyo miungu kweli.
For then, when ye knew not God, ye served them who in their nature are not gods.
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?
But now, since ye have known God, or rather, have been known by God, ye turn yourselves again to the weak and beggarly elements, and wish again to be under them!
10 Bado mnaadhimisha siku, miezi na miaka!
Ye observe days and moons, and set times, and years!
11 Nahofu kwamba labda kazi niliyoifanya kwa ajili yenu imepotea bure!
I am afraid, lest I have labored among you in vain.
12 Ndugu, nawasihi muwe kama mimi, kwa vile hata mimi nimekuwa kama ninyi. Hamkunitendea ubaya wowote.
Be ye like me; because I have been like you.
13 Mnajua kwamba ugonjwa wangu ndio ulionipatia fursa ya kuwahubirieni Habari Njema kwa mara ya kwanza.
My brethren, I beseech you. Ye have not injured me at all. For ye know, that under the infirmity of my flesh, I at first announced the gospel to you;
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 the trial in my flesh, ye did not despise nor nauseate: but ye received me as an angel of God, and as Jesus the Messiah.
15 Mlikuwa wenye furaha; sasa kumetokea nini? Naapa kwamba wakati ule mngaliweza hata kuyang'oa macho yenu na kunipa mimi.
Where then is your blessedness? For I testify of you, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Je, sasa nimekuwa adui yenu kwa sababu ya kuwaambieni ukweli?
Have I become an enemy to you, by preaching to you the truth?
17 Hao watu wengine wanawahangaikia ninyi, lakini nia zao si njema. Wanataka kuwatenganisha nami ili ninyi muwahangaikie wao.
They are zealous towards you, yet not for good; but they wish to shut you up, that ye may be zealous towards them.
18 Kwa kweli ni jambo jema daima kuwahangaikia wengine katika mambo mema, na si tu wakati mimi nipo pamoja nanyi.
And it is a good thing to be zealous at all times in good things; and not merely when I am present 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.
Ye are my children, of whom I travail in birth again, till the Messiah be formed in you.
20 Laiti ningekuwa pamoja nanyi sasa, maana ningalipata msimamo ufaao juu yenu! Nina wasiwasi sana nanyi!
And I could wish to be now with you, and to change the tone of my voice; because I am astonished at you.
21 Niambieni, enyi mnaopenda kutawaliwa na sheria: Je, mnasikia isemavyo Sheria?
Tell me, ye who desire to be under the law, do ye not hear 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 bondmaid, 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 he that was by the bond maid, was born after the flesh; and he that was by the free woman, was by the 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.
And these are allegorical of the two covenants; the one from mount Sinai, which bringeth forth for bondage, is Hagar.
25 Hagari anawakilisha mlima Sinai ulioko Arabia, na ni mfano wa Yerusalemu ya sasa, ulio mtumwa pamoja na watoto wake.
For Hagar is the mount Sinai in Arabia, and correspondeth with the present Jerusalem, and is serving in bondage, she and her children.
26 Lakini Yerusalemu ya juu mbinguni ni mji ulio huru, nao ni mama yetu.
But the Jerusalem above, is the free woman, who is the mother of us.
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, Be joyful, thou barren, who bearest not: exult and shout, thou who hast not travailed: for more numerous are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman.
28 Sasa, basi, ndugu zangu, ninyi ni watoto wa Mungu kutokana na ahadi yake kama alivyokuwa Isaka.
Now we, my brethren, like Isaac, are the 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.
And as then, he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him who was born of the Spirit; so also is it 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 saith the scripture? Cast out the bondmaid, and her son; because the son of the bondmaid shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.
31 Kwa hiyo, basi, ndugu, sisi si watoto wa mtumwa bali wa mama huru.
So then, my brethren, we are not sons of the bond-woman, but sons of the free woman.
