KwabaseGalathiya 4
1 Kodwa ngithi, ngaso sonke isikhathi indlalifa iseyingane, kayehlukananga ngalutho esigqilini lanxa ingumnikazi wakho konke;
Let me explain what I'm saying. An heir who is under-age is no different from a slave, even though the heir may be the owner of everything.
2 kodwa ingaphansi kwabaphathi lababonisi, kuze kufike isikhathi esamiswa nguyise.
An heir is subject to guardians and managers until the time set by the father.
3 Ngokunjalo lathi, lapho siseyizingane, sasiyizigqili ngaphansi kwemfundiso zakuqala zomhlaba;
It's just the same for us. When we were children, we were slaves subject to the basic rules of the law.
4 kodwa kwathi ukuphelela kwesikhathi sekufikile, uNkulunkulu wathuma iNdodana yakhe, yazalwa ngowesifazana, yenziwa ngaphansi komthetho,
But at the appropriate time God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the rule of law,
5 ukuze ihlenge abangaphansi komlayo, ukuze semukele ukuma kwabantwana.
so that he could rescue those who were kept under the rule of law, so that we could receive the inheritance of adopted children.
6 Njengoba lingamadodana, uNkulunkulu wathuma uMoya weNdodana yakhe enhliziyweni zenu, ememeza esithi: Abha, Baba!
To show you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son to convince us, causing us to call out, “Abba,” meaning “Father.”
7 Ngakho kawuseyiso isigqili, kodwa indodana; njalo uba uyindodana, futhi uyindlalifa kaNkulunkulu ngoKristu.
Since you are now no longer a slave, but a child, and if you are his child, then God has made you his heir.
8 Kodwa ngalesosikhathi, lingamazi uNkulunkulu, laliyizigqili kulabo abangeyisibo onkulunkulu ngemvelo;
At the time when you didn't know God, you were enslaved by the supposed “gods” of this world.
9 kodwa khathesi lokhu selimazi uNkulunkulu, yebo kangithi lisaziwa nguNkulunkulu, libuyela njani futhi kumfundiso zakuqala ezibuthakathaka leziyibuyanga, elifuna ukuba yizigqili zazo futhi kakutsha?
But now you've come to know God—or better, to be known by God. So how can you go back to those useless and worthless rules? Do you want to be slaves to those rules all over again?
10 Ligcina izinsuku, lezinyanga lezikhathi, leminyaka.
You're observing special days and months, seasons and years.
11 Ngilovalo ngani, hlezi ngitshikatshikele ize kini.
I'm concerned that all I did for you has been wasted!
12 Banini njengami, ngoba lami nginjengani, bazalwane, ngiyalincenga; kalingonanga ngalutho;
I'm pleading with you, my friends: be like me, because I became like you. You've never treated me badly.
13 liyazi-ke ukuthi ngobuthakathaka benyama ngatshumayela ivangeli kini ngokokuqala,
You remember that it was because I was sick that I shared with you the good news on my first visit.
14 lokulingwa kwami okwakusenyameni yami kalikudelelanga njalo kalikwenyanyanga, kodwa langemukela njengengilosi kaNkulunkulu, njengoKristu Jesu.
Even though my illness was difficult for you, you didn't despise or reject me—in fact you treated me like an angel of God, like Christ Jesus himself.
15 Ngakho sasiyini isibusiso senu? Ngoba ngiyalifakazela ukuthi, uba kungenzeka, lalingakhupha amehlo enu linginike.
So what's happened to all your gratefulness? I tell you, back then if you could have pulled out your eyes and given them to me, you would have!
16 Ngakho sengibeyisitha senu ngokulitshela iqiniso yini?
So what has happened—have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 Bayalitshisekela ngokungekuhle; kodwa bafuna ukulivalela ngaphandle, ukuze litshisekele bona.
These people are keen to gain your support, but not for any good reasons. On the contrary, they want to keep you away from us so that you will enthusiastically support them.
18 Kodwa kuhle ukuthi litshisekelelwe kokuhle isikhathi sonke, njalo kungabi sebukhoneni bami lani kuphela.
Of course it's good to want to do good. But this should be at all times, not just when I'm there with you!
19 Bantwana bami abancane, engilomhelo futhi wokulizala aze uKristu abunjwe kini,
My dear friends, I want to work with you until Christ's character is duplicated in you.
20 kodwa bengingathanda ukuba khona lani khathesi, ngiphendule ilizwi lami, ngoba ngididekile ngani.
I really wish I could be with you right now so I could change my tone of voice… I'm so worried about you.
21 Ngitshelani, lina elithanda ukuba ngaphansi komlayo, kaliwuzwa yini umlayo?
Answer me this, you people who want to live under the law: Don't you hear what the law is saying?
22 Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi uAbrahama wayelamadodana amabili; enye ingeyesigqilikazi, lenye ingeyokhululekileyo.
As Scripture says, Abraham had two sons, one from the servant girl, and one from the free woman.
23 Kodwa eyesigqilikazi yazalwa ngokwenyama, kodwa eyokhululekileyo ngesithembiso.
However, the son from the servant girl was born following a human plan, while the son from the free woman was born as the result of the promise.
24 Okuyizinto ezingumzekeliso; ngoba laba bayizivumelwano ezimbili; esinye esentabeni iSinayi, esizalela ebugqilini, esinguAgari.
This provides an analogy: these two women represent two agreements. One agreement is from Mount Sinai—Hagar—and she gives birth to slave children.
25 Ngoba lokhu, uAgari, kuyintaba iSinayi eseArabhiya, njalo imele iJerusalema yalamuhla, futhi iyisigqili kanye labantwana bayo.
Hagar symbolizes Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the current Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
26 Kodwa iJerusalema ephezulu ikhululekile, engumama wethu sonke;
But the heavenly Jerusalem is free. She is our mother.
27 ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Thokoza, wena nyumba engazaliyo; kekela umemeze, wena ongawuzwanga umhelo; ngoba abantwana botshiyiweyo banengi okwedlula kakhulu kulaye olendoda.
As Scripture says, “Rejoice you who are childless and who have never given birth! Shout aloud for joy, you who have never been in labor—for the abandoned woman has more children than the woman who has a husband!”
28 Kodwa thina, bazalwane, njengoIsaka singabantwana besithembiso.
Now my friends, we are children of promise just like Isaac.
29 Kodwa njengakulesosikhathi owazalwa ngokwenyama wamzingela yena ongowakoMoya, kunjalo lakhathesi.
However, just as the one born according to a human plan persecuted the one born through the Spirit, so it is today.
30 Kodwa umbhalo uthini? Uthi: Xotsha isigqilikazi lendodana yaso; ngoba indodana yesigqilikazi kayisoze idle ilifa kanye lendodana yokhululekileyo.
But what does Scripture say? “Send away the servant girl and her son, for the son of the servant girl will not be an heir together with the son of the free woman.”
31 Ngakho, bazalwane, kasisibo abantwana besigqilikazi, kodwa bokhululekileyo.
Therefore, my friends, we're not children of a servant girl, but of the free woman.
