Wagalatia 4
1 Basi, nasema hivi: mrithi, akiwa bado mtoto, hawi tofauti na mtumwa ingawaje mali yote ni yake.
Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the master of all.
2 Wakati huo wote yuko chini ya walezi na wadhamini mpaka wakati ule uliowekwa na baba yake.
But he is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by his father.
3 Hali kadhalika na sisi tulipokuwa bado watoto, tulikuwa watumwa wa pepo watawala wa ulimwengu.
In the same way also, when we were children, we were enslaved to the elements of the world.
4 Lakini wakati ule maalumu ulipotimia, Mungu alimtuma Mwanawe aliyezaliwa na mwanamke, akaishi chini ya Sheria
But when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 apate kuwakomboa wale waliokuwa chini ya Sheria ili sisi tufanywe wana wa Mungu.
to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
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 has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!”
7 Basi, wewe si mtumwa tena, bali mwana. Na ikiwa ni mwana, basi, wewe utapokea yote Mungu aliyowawekea watoto wake.
So yoʋ are no longer a slave, but a son. And if yoʋ are a son, yoʋ are also an heir of God through Christ.
8 Zamani hamkumjua Mungu na hivyo mkatumikia miungu isiyo miungu kweli.
At that time, however, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by 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 that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you are turning back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you wish to be enslaved to them once more?
10 Bado mnaadhimisha siku, miezi na miaka!
You observe days, months, seasons, and years!
11 Nahofu kwamba labda kazi niliyoifanya kwa ajili yenu imepotea bure!
I am afraid for you, lest somehow I have labored for you in vain.
12 Ndugu, nawasihi muwe kama mimi, kwa vile hata mimi nimekuwa kama ninyi. Hamkunitendea ubaya wowote.
I plead with you, brothers: Become as I am, because I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong.
13 Mnajua kwamba ugonjwa wangu ndio ulionipatia fursa ya kuwahubirieni Habari Njema kwa mara ya kwanza.
But you know that it was because of a physical infirmity that I preached the gospel to you the first time.
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 you did not despise or reject me even though my physical condition was a trial for me. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.
15 Mlikuwa wenye furaha; sasa kumetokea nini? Naapa kwamba wakati ule mngaliweza hata kuyang'oa macho yenu na kunipa mimi.
What then has become of that sense of blessing you had? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.
16 Je, sasa nimekuwa adui yenu kwa sababu ya kuwaambieni ukweli?
Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 Hao watu wengine wanawahangaikia ninyi, lakini nia zao si njema. Wanataka kuwatenganisha nami ili ninyi muwahangaikie wao.
Those false teachers are not zealous for you in a good way, but rather they wish to shut you out so that you will be zealous for them.
18 Kwa kweli ni jambo jema daima kuwahangaikia wengine katika mambo mema, na si tu wakati mimi nipo pamoja nanyi.
Now it is good to be zealous for a good purpose, and to be so at all times and not just 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.
My little children, for whom I am again suffering labor pains until Christ is formed in you,
20 Laiti ningekuwa pamoja nanyi sasa, maana ningalipata msimamo ufaao juu yenu! Nina wasiwasi sana nanyi!
how I wish that I could be with you now and 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 under the law, 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 the son of the slave woman was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through 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.
This can be explained allegorically, for these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; this 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 Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem; she is in slavery with her children.
26 Lakini Yerusalemu ya juu mbinguni ni mji ulio huru, nao ni mama yetu.
But the Jerusalem that is above is the free woman; she is the mother of us all.
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 barren woman, who has never given birth; break forth and shout, yoʋ who have never been in labor! For many are the children of the desolate woman, more than those of the woman who has a husband.”
28 Sasa, basi, ndugu zangu, ninyi ni watoto wa Mungu kutokana na ahadi yake kama alivyokuwa Isaka.
Now we, brothers, like Isaac, are 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 at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.
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? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman 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, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
