VaGaratia 4
1 Zvino ndinoti, mudyi wenhaka, kana achingori mwana chete, haatongosiyani nemuranda, kunyange ari ishe wezvese;
Now, I [will further] discuss [children and heirs]: [An heir is a person who will later] control all that his father has. But as long as that heir is a child, others [control] him, with the result that he is just like a slave [MET].
2 asi ari pasi pevachengeti nevatariri kusvikira panguva yakatarwa nababa.
Until the [day that] his father [previously] determined, [other] persons supervise him and manage his father’s property.
3 Saizvozvo nesu, patakange tiri vana, taiva muuranda pasi pedzidziso dzekutanga dzenyika.
Likewise, when we [(inc)] (OR, we [(exc) Jews]) were [like] young children [MET], we were controlled by the spiritual powers of this world. They controlled us like [masters control their slaves] [MET].
4 Asi apo kuzara kwenguva kwasvika, Mwari wakatuma Mwanakomana wake, wakavapo kubva kumukadzi, wakavapo pasi pemurairo,
But exactly at the time [MTY] [that God had previously determined], he sent [Jesus], who is (his Son/the man who is also God), into the world. Jesus was born to a [human] mother. He had to obey the laws [that God gave to Moses].
5 kuti adzikunure vari pasi pemurairo, kuti tigamuchire kuitwa vanakomana.
God sent Jesus in order that he might redeem us who had to obey [God’s] laws. God wanted us all to receive from [God] the status of being his children [MET].
6 Uye nokuti muri vanakomana, Mwari wakatuma Mweya weMwanakomana wake mumoyo yenyu, achidanidzira achiti: Abha, Baba!
Furthermore, we know that we are God’s children because God sent the Spirit, who is intimately related to Jesus, to live in our (inner beings/hearts). [The Spirit enables us to] pray fervently, “Daddy, Father!” [This shows that we are God’s children].
7 Saka hausisiri muranda, asi mwanakomana; zvino kana wava mwanakomana, wavawo mudyi wenhaka yaMwari nemuna Kristu.
So, [because of what God has done], no longer is [each of] you [like] a slave. Instead, [each of you is] a child [of God]. Furthermore, since [each of you is God’s] child, God has also made you his heir, [one who will receive all that he has promised].
8 Asi nenguva iyo, musingazivi Mwari, maiva varanda vevasiri vamwari pachisikirwo;
When you did not have a relationship with God [MET], you served gods that really did not exist [MET]. You were their slaves.
9 asi ikozvino sezvo moziva Mwari, zvikuru sei zvamunozikanwa naMwari, modzokerazve sei kudzidziso dzekutanga dzisina simba dzeurombo, dzamunoshuva kuva muuranda hwadzo zvekarezve?
But now you have come to know God. Perhaps [it would be better to say that] now God knows you. [So now you are acting foolishly]! (You are again believing [that by obeying] rules and rites [you will benefit spiritually]! [RHQ] [Those rules are] ineffective and inadequate! You are wanting to [obey them] again [MET] like slaves obey their masters. [RHQ]
10 Munochengetedza misi, nemwedzi, nenguva, nemakore.
You [non-Jews] are carefully practicing [Jewish rules and rituals about what you should do] (on [Sabbaths/on Jewish days of rest]) and [on the first day of each] month and on [special] seasons and years.
11 Ndinokutyirai, zvimwe ndakashingairira pasina kwamuri.
I (worry/am concerned) about your [mistaken ideas. I do not want] to have [so] strenuously served you in vain.
12 Ivai seni, nokuti ini ndakaitawo semwi, hama, ndinokukumbirisai; hamuna kutombonditadzira chinhu;
My fellow believers, I strongly urge you that you do as I do. [Stop thinking that you have to obey (Jewish rules and rituals/ceremonial laws]). [When I was with you], I [did not obey all the Jewish rules and rituals], just like you [did not obey them]. [At that time] you treated me entirely as you should have [LIT].
13 munozivawo kuti nemuundonda hwenyama, ndakaparidza evhangeri kwamuri pakutanga,
You know that the first time I preached to you, [I went to your area to regain my health, because I was physically weak].
14 nemuedzo wangu waiva panyama yangu hamuna kuzvidza kana kuramba, asi makandigamuchira semutumwa waMwari, saKristu Jesu.
[Although] you might have [despised me because] I was physically weak, you did not despise me or act contemptuously/disrespectfully toward me. Instead, you welcomed me like [you would welcome] an angel from God. [You welcomed me] like [you would welcome] Christ Jesus!
15 Zvino ropafadzo yenyu chii? Nokuti ndinokupupurirai kuti, kana zvichibvira, mutumbure meso enyu mundipe.
(I am disappointed that you have forgotten [that then] you [declared that you were] pleased with [me]./Have you forgotten [that then] you [declared that you were] pleased with [me]?) [RHQ] I can testify that you [would have done anything to help me]. You would have gouged out your eyes [and] given them to me, [if that would have helped me]!
16 Naizvozvo ndava muvengi wenyu nekukuudzai chokwadi here?
So I am very disappointed that you [now] act as though [RHQ] I have become hostile to you [because I have kept] speaking the true [message about Christ] to you.
17 Vanokushingairirai zvisina kunaka; asi vanoda kukuvharirai kunze, kuti mushingairire ivo.
Those [who are insisting on obeying Jewish rules] are eagerly [showing interest in] you, but [what they are doing is] not good. They even want you not to associate with [me and other true] believers, because they want you to eagerly show [interest in] them, [not in us].
18 Asi zvakanaka kushingairwa pachakanaka nguva dzese, uye kwete pakuvapo kwangu chete.
But [just like] it always feels good to have others show that they appreciate you, [I would like you] always [to appreciate me], and not only when I am with you.
19 Vana vangu vadiki, vandinorwadziwazve nemimba pakubereka, kusvikira Kristu aumbwa mamuri,
You [who are like] my children, [once] again I am very worried/concerned about you [MET], [and I will continue to] be worried/concerned until Christ’s [nature becomes developed] in you [completely and wholeheartedly] [MET] [as a child] becomes developed [in his mother’s womb].
20 asi ndaishuva kuvapo nemwi ikozvino, uye kushandura inzwi rangu; nokuti ndiri mukukanganiswa pamusoro penyu.
But I do wish that I could be with you now and that I might talk [more gently with you], because I do not know [what to do about] you [while we are apart].
21 Ndiudzei, imwi munoshuva kuva pasi pemurairo, hamunzwi murairo here?
Some of you desire [to obey all the laws] that God gave Moses. [I say that] you [should] consider [RHQ] [the implications of what Moses wrote in] the Scriptures.
22 Nokuti kwakanyorwa kuti Abhurahama wakange ane vanakomana vaviri, umwe kubva kumurandakadzi, neumwe kubva kune wakasununguka.
[He] wrote that Abraham became the father of two sons. His female slave, [Hagar], bore one son, and his [wife Sarah], who was not a slave, bore the other.
23 Asi wakabva kumurandakadzi wakaberekwa panyama, asi wakabva kune wakasununguka nechivimbiso.
Also, [the sons differed. Ishmael], the [son born by] the female slave, was conceived naturally. But [Isaac], the [son born by] his wife who was not a slave, was conceived [miraculously] as a result of what [God] had promised [Abraham].
24 Zvinhu izvi zvinodimikira; nokuti ava isungano mbiri; imwe yepagomo reSinai, inoberekera uranda, inova Agari.
[I am telling you this] as an illustration. These [two women] symbolize two agreements. [God made] the first [agreement, which involved obeying the laws that God gave to Moses] at Sinai Mountain. [Because that agreement forces those who accept it to keep obeying all its rules] [MET], [it is like a slave mother who] gives birth to slaves. [So] Hagar, [the female slave, symbolizes] that [agreement].
25 Nokuti Agari ndiro gomo reSinai muArabhiya, rinomiririra Jerusarema raikozvino uye riri pauranda pamwe nevana varo.
Also, the [word] ‘Hagar’ is [associated with] Sinai Mountain, [which is] in Arabia [land. Hagar, the female slave, also] represents Jerusalem as it is today. Jerusalem is [like] [MET] a slave [mother, and those who live there] [PRS] [are like] her slave children [MET] [because they all must obey the laws that God gave to Moses].
26 Asi Jerusarema riri kumusoro rakasununguka rinova mai vedu tese.
But there will be a [new] Jerusalem in heaven [MTY], and we [who will go there] are free [from having to obey Jewish laws]. We [who belong to that city consider it to be] our mother [MET] [city because we are God’s true children].
27 Nokuti kwakanyorwa kuchinzi: Fara, iwe mhanje isingazvari; pururudza, udanidzire, iwe usingarwadziwi nemimba, nokuti vana vemusiiwa vazhinji kwazvo kune veune murume.
[Our new city will have more people than those who live in Jerusalem now. It will be just like] Isaiah foretold about [the people whom he expected would come back to Jerusalem from exile. He expected that they would be more numerous than those who] were taken into exile. He wrote: [You who live in Jerusalem, you will] rejoice! Now you have no children, like a barren [woman] who does not give birth to [children! But some day you will] shout [joyfully], (without restraint/as loudly as you can), [even though now you are few in number, like a woman who] cannot give birth [to children, and you] feel deserted. [You will be very happy] because [you will have many children who will come to you. Those children will be] more than [the children] any woman with a husband [could have borne].
28 Asi isu, hama, saIsaka tiri vana vechivimbiso.
Now, [my] fellow believers, you have become children [of God as a result of believing God’s] promise to us, as Isaac [was born as a result of Abraham believing what God promised to him] [MET].
29 Asi sepanguva iyo uyo wakaberekwa nemutoo wenyama wakamutambudza iye wemutoo weMweya, zvakadaro kunyange ikozvino.
[Also, long ago Abraham’s son] Ishmael, the one who was conceived naturally, caused trouble for [Abraham’s son] Isaac, who [was conceived] supernaturally [MET]. Similarly, now [those who think that we must obey the laws that God gave Moses in order that God will save us are causing trouble for those who are trusting Abraham’s descendant, Christ].
30 Asi rugwaro rwunoti kudini? Dzinga murandakadzi nemwanakomana wake; nokuti mwanakomana wemurandakadzi haangatongovi mudyi wenhaka pamwe nemwanakomana wewakasununguka.
But these are [RHQ] the words in the Scriptures [PRS]: “The son of the [woman] who was not a slave will inherit [what his father has]. The female slave’s son will certainly not inherit those things. So send away from [this place] the female slave and her son [MET]!” [That means that you should certainly expel from your groups those who insist that we obey all the laws God gave Moses] [MET].
31 Naizvozvo, hama, hatisi vana vemurandakadzi, asi vewakasununguka.
[My] fellow believers, [Hagar symbolizes the laws that God gave to Moses. But we are not those who must obey all the laws that God gave to Moses] [MET]. [So] we are not [the] female slave [Hagar’s spiritual] descendants [MET]. But [Sarah’s descendants are those who were born as a result of believing what God promised to Abraham. So we are] the [spiritual] descendants of [Sarah, the woman] who was not a slave [MET].
