Wagalatia 4
1 Lile nisemalo ni kwamba wakati wote mrithi bado ni mtoto, hana tofauti na mtumwa, ingawa ndiye mmiliki wa mali yote.
Now I say that so long as an heir is a child, he in no respect differs from a slave, although he is the owner of everything,
2 Yeye huwa yuko chini ya uangalizi wa walezi na wadhamini mpaka ufike wakati uliowekwa na baba yake.
but he is under the control of guardians and trustees until the time his father has appointed.
3 Vivyo hivyo na sisi, tulipokuwa bado watoto wadogo, tulikuwa utumwani chini ya taratibu za kawaida za ulimwengu.
So we also, when spiritually we were children, were subject to the world's rudimentary notions, and were enslaved.
4 Lakini ulipowadia utimilifu wa wakati, Mungu alimtuma Mwanawe, ambaye alizaliwa na mwanamke, akazaliwa chini ya sheria,
But, when the time was fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born subject to Law,
5 kusudi awakomboe wale waliokuwa chini ya sheria, ili tupate kupokea zile haki kamili za kufanywa watoto wa Mungu.
in order to purchase the freedom of all who were subject to Law, so that we might receive recognition as sons.
6 Kwa sababu ninyi ni watoto wa Mungu, Mungu amemtuma Roho wa Mwanawe mioyoni mwetu, anayelia, “Abba, Baba.”
And because you are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of His Son to enter your hearts and cry "Abba! our Father!"
7 Kwa hiyo, wewe si mtumwa tena, bali ni mtoto, kwa kuwa wewe ni mtoto, Mungu amekufanya wewe pia kuwa mrithi kwa kupitia Kristo.
Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir also through God's own act.
8 Zamani, mlipokuwa hammjui Mungu, mlikuwa watumwa wa viumbe ambavyo kwa asili si Mungu.
But at one time, you Gentiles, having no knowledge of God, were slaves to gods which in reality do not exist.
9 Lakini sasa kwa kuwa mmemjua Mungu, au zaidi mmejulikana na Mungu, inakuwaje mnarejea tena katika zile kanuni za kwanza zenye udhaifu na upungufu? Mnataka ziwafanye tena watumwa?
Now, however, having come to know God--or rather to be known by Him--how is it you are again turning back to weak and worthless rudimentary notions to which you are once more willing to be enslaved?
10 Mnaadhimisha siku maalum, miezi, nyakati na miaka!
You scrupulously observe days and months, special seasons, and years.
11 Nina hofu juu yenu, kwamba kazi niliyofanya kwa ajili yenu inaweza kuwa nimejitaabisha bure.
I am alarmed about you, and am afraid that I have perhaps bestowed labour upon you to no purpose.
12 Ndugu zangu, nawasihi mwe kama mimi, kwa sababu mimi nimekuwa kama ninyi. Hamkunitendea jambo lolote baya.
Brethren, become as I am, I beseech you; for I have also become like you. In no respect did you behave badly to me.
13 Ninyi mwajua kwamba ni kwa ajili ya udhaifu wangu niliwahubiria Injili.
And you know that in those early days it was on account of bodily infirmity that I proclaimed the Good News to you,
14 Ingawa hali yangu iliwatia majaribuni, hamkunidharau wala kunidhihaki, bali mlinikaribisha kama malaika wa Mungu, kama vile Kristo Yesu.
and yet the bodily infirmity which was such a trial to you, you did not regard with contempt or loathing, but you received me as if I had been an angel of God or Christ Jesus Himself!
15 Ile hali ya furaha mliyokuwa nayo imekwenda wapi? Naweza kushuhudia kwamba, kama ingewezekana mngengʼoa macho yenu na kunipa mimi.
I ask you, then, what has become of your self-congratulations? For I bear you witness that had it been possible you would have torn out your own eyes and have given them to me.
16 Je, sasa nimekuwa adui yenu kwa kuwaambia kweli?
Can it be that I have become your enemy through speaking the truth to you?
17 Hao wana shauku ya kuwapata lakini si kwa kusudi zuri. Wanachotaka ni kuwatenga mbali nasi, ili ninyi mpate kuwaonea wao shauku.
These men pay court to you, but not with honourable motives. They want to exclude you, so that you may pay court to them.
18 Ni vizuri wakati wote kuwa na shauku kwa ajili ya kusudi zuri, si wakati nikiwa pamoja nanyi tu.
It is always an honourable thing to be courted in an honourable cause; always, and not only when I am with you, my children--
19 Watoto wangu wapendwa, ambao kwa mara nyingine ninawaonea utungu, ninatamani kwamba Kristo aumbike ndani yenu.
you for whom I am again, as it were, undergoing the pains of childbirth, until Christ is fully formed within you.
20 Natamani kama ningekuwa pamoja nanyi sasa, pengine ningebadilisha sauti yangu. Kwa maana nina wasiwasi kwa ajili yenu.
Would that I were with you and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
21 Niambieni, ninyi mnaotaka kuwa chini ya sheria, je, hamjui sheria inavyosema?
Tell me--you who want to continue to be subject to Law--will you not listen to the Law?
22 Kwa maana imeandikwa kwamba Abrahamu alikuwa na wana wawili, mmoja wa mwanamke mtumwa na wa pili wa mwanamke huru.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-girl and one by the free woman.
23 Lakini, mtoto wa mwanamke mtumwa alizaliwa kwa mapenzi ya mwili, na yule mwingine wa mwanamke huru alizaliwa kutokana na ahadi ya Mungu.
But we see that the child of the slave-girl was born in the common course of nature; but the child of the free woman in fulfilment of the promise.
24 Mambo haya yanaweza kuchukuliwa kama mfano. Kwa maana hao wanawake wawili ni mfano wa maagano mawili: Agano la kwanza, ni lile lililofanyika katika Mlima Sinai, lizaalo watoto wa utumwa. Hili ndilo huyo Hagari.
All this is allegorical; for the women represent two Covenants. One has its origin on Mount Sinai, and bears children destined for slavery.
25 Basi Hagari anawakilisha Mlima Sinai ulioko Arabuni, na unafanana na Yerusalemu ya sasa ambayo iko utumwani pamoja na watoto wake.
This is Hagar; for the name Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, which is in bondage together with her children.
26 Lakini Yerusalemu wa juu ni huru, nayo ndiye mama yetu.
But the Jerusalem which is above is free, and she is our mother.
27 Kwa maana imeandikwa: “Furahi, ewe mwanamke tasa, wewe usiyezaa; paza sauti, na kuimba kwa furaha, wewe usiyepatwa na utungu wa kuzaa; kwa maana watoto wa mwanamke aliyeachwa ukiwa ni wengi kuliko wa mwanamke mwenye mume.”
For it is written, "Rejoice, thou barren woman that bearest not, break forth into a joyful cry, thou that dost not travail with child. For the desolate woman has many children--more indeed than she who has the husband."
28 Basi, sisi ndugu zangu, ni kama Isaki, tu watoto wa ahadi.
But you, brethren, like Isaac, are children born in fulfilment of a promise.
29 Lakini, kama vile ilivyokuwa siku zile yule aliyezaliwa kwa mwili alivyomchokoza yule aliyezaliwa kwa Roho, ndivyo ilivyo hata sasa.
Yet just as, at that time, the child born in the common course of nature persecuted the one whose birth was due to the power of the Spirit, so it is now.
30 Lakini Maandiko yasemaje? “Mwondoe mwanamke mtumwa pamoja na mwanawe, kwa sababu mwana wa mwanamke mtumwa kamwe hatarithi pamoja na mwana wa aliye huru.”
But what says the Scripture? "Send away the slave-girl and her son, for never shall the slave-girl's son share the inheritance with the son of the free woman."
31 Kwa hiyo ndugu zangu, sisi si watoto wa mwanamke mtumwa, bali wa yule aliye huru.
Therefore, brethren, since we are not the children of a slave-girl, but of the free woman--
