KwabaseGalathiya 4
1 Kodwa ngithi, ngaso sonke isikhathi indlalifa iseyingane, kayehlukananga ngalutho esigqilini lanxa ingumnikazi wakho konke;
Now as long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a servant, though he is to be lord of all:
2 kodwa ingaphansi kwabaphathi lababonisi, kuze kufike isikhathi esamiswa nguyise.
but is under guardians and managers till the time appointed by the father.
3 Ngokunjalo lathi, lapho siseyizingane, sasiyizigqili ngaphansi kwemfundiso zakuqala zomhlaba;
So we when we were children, were in servitude under the elements of the world:
4 kodwa kwathi ukuphelela kwesikhathi sekufikile, uNkulunkulu wathuma iNdodana yakhe, yazalwa ngowesifazana, yenziwa ngaphansi komthetho,
but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son born of a woman made under the law,
5 ukuze ihlenge abangaphansi komlayo, ukuze semukele ukuma kwabantwana.
that He might redeem those that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 Njengoba lingamadodana, uNkulunkulu wathuma uMoya weNdodana yakhe enhliziyweni zenu, ememeza esithi: Abha, Baba!
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Ngakho kawuseyiso isigqili, kodwa indodana; njalo uba uyindodana, futhi uyindlalifa kaNkulunkulu ngoKristu.
So that thou art no longer a servant, but a son; and if a son, an heir also of God through Christ.
8 Kodwa ngalesosikhathi, lingamazi uNkulunkulu, laliyizigqili kulabo abangeyisibo onkulunkulu ngemvelo;
But then indeed, when ye knew not God, ye served those which in reality are no gods.
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 that ye know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that ye turn again to the poor weak elements, to which ye desire again to be in bondage as before?
10 Ligcina izinsuku, lezinyanga lezikhathi, leminyaka.
Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years:
11 Ngilovalo ngani, hlezi ngitshikatshikele ize kini.
so that I am afraid for you, least I have indeed bestowed upon you labour in vain.
12 Banini njengami, ngoba lami nginjengani, bazalwane, ngiyalincenga; kalingonanga ngalutho;
Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I also was as ye are: and ye have not injured me at all.
13 liyazi-ke ukuthi ngobuthakathaka benyama ngatshumayela ivangeli kini ngokokuqala,
But ye know that in the infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you at first:
14 lokulingwa kwami okwakusenyameni yami kalikudelelanga njalo kalikwenyanyanga, kodwa langemukela njengengilosi kaNkulunkulu, njengoKristu Jesu.
and my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected me for it; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Ngakho sasiyini isibusiso senu? Ngoba ngiyalifakazela ukuthi, uba kungenzeka, lalingakhupha amehlo enu linginike.
What then was your blessedness? for I bear you witness that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Ngakho sengibeyisitha senu ngokulitshela iqiniso yini?
And am I become your enemy for telling you the truth?
17 Bayalitshisekela ngokungekuhle; kodwa bafuna ukulivalela ngaphandle, ukuze litshisekele bona.
They are zealous for you, but not as they ought: for they would exclude us, that ye may be zealous for them:
18 Kodwa kuhle ukuthi litshisekelelwe kokuhle isikhathi sonke, njalo kungabi sebukhoneni bami lani kuphela.
But it is good to be zealously affected always in that which is good, and not only when I am present with you.
19 Bantwana bami abancane, engilomhelo futhi wokulizala aze uKristu abunjwe kini,
My little children, of whom I do as it were travail in birth again,
20 kodwa bengingathanda ukuba khona lani khathesi, ngiphendule ilizwi lami, ngoba ngididekile ngani.
till Christ be formed in you, I should be glad to be present with you even now, and to change my voice; for I am in doubt about you.
21 Ngitshelani, lina elithanda ukuba ngaphansi komlayo, kaliwuzwa yini umlayo?
Tell me, you that are so desirous to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi uAbrahama wayelamadodana amabili; enye ingeyesigqilikazi, lenye ingeyokhululekileyo.
where it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by a servant, and one by a free-woman?
23 Kodwa eyesigqilikazi yazalwa ngokwenyama, kodwa eyokhululekileyo ngesithembiso.
But he who was of the servant, was born according to the course of nature; whereas the son of the free-woman was by virtue of the promise.
24 Okuyizinto ezingumzekeliso; ngoba laba bayizivumelwano ezimbili; esinye esentabeni iSinayi, esizalela ebugqilini, esinguAgari.
Which things are figurative; for these persons are emblems of the two covenants, the one from mount Sinai, bringing forth children unto bondage, which is Hagar: for this name Hagar,
25 Ngoba lokhu, uAgari, kuyintaba iSinayi eseArabhiya, njalo imele iJerusalema yalamuhla, futhi iyisigqili kanye labantwana bayo.
a rock, is expressive of mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to the present Jerusalem, which is in bondage with her children.
26 Kodwa iJerusalema ephezulu ikhululekile, engumama wethu sonke;
But the Jerusalem above is represented by the free-woman, which is the mother of us all.
27 ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Thokoza, wena nyumba engazaliyo; kekela umemeze, wena ongawuzwanga umhelo; ngoba abantwana botshiyiweyo banengi okwedlula kakhulu kulaye olendoda.
For it is written, Rejoice thou barren, that for a while didst not bear, break forth and cry aloud for joy, thou that didst not travail with child; for many more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath an husband."
28 Kodwa thina, bazalwane, njengoIsaka singabantwana besithembiso.
Now we, brethren, like Isaac, are children of the promise.
29 Kodwa njengakulesosikhathi owazalwa ngokwenyama wamzingela yena ongowakoMoya, kunjalo lakhathesi.
But as then he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him who was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Kodwa umbhalo uthini? Uthi: Xotsha isigqilikazi lendodana yaso; ngoba indodana yesigqilikazi kayisoze idle ilifa kanye lendodana yokhululekileyo.
But what saith the scripture? "Cast out the servant and her son: for the son of the servant shall not inherit with the son of the free-woman."
31 Ngakho, bazalwane, kasisibo abantwana besigqilikazi, kodwa bokhululekileyo.
Now we, my brethren, are not children of the servant, but of the free-woman.
