¹Now I say, As long as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a bondman, though he be lord of all;

¹Basi, nasema hivi: mrithi, akiwa bado mtoto, hawi tofauti na mtumwa ingawaje mali yote ni yake.

²but he is under guardians and stewards until the period fixed by the father.

²Wakati huo wote yuko chini ya walezi na wadhamini mpaka wakati ule uliowekwa na baba yake.

³So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the principles of the world;

³Hali kadhalika na sisi tulipokuwa bado watoto, tulikuwa watumwa wa pepo watawala wa ulimwengu.

⁴but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, come of woman, come under law,

⁴Lakini wakati ule maalumu ulipotimia, Mungu alimtuma Mwanawe aliyezaliwa na mwanamke, akaishi chini ya Sheria

⁵that he might redeem those under law, that we might receive sonship.

⁵apate kuwakomboa wale waliokuwa chini ya Sheria ili sisi tufanywe wana wa Mungu.

⁶But because ye are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

⁶Kwa vile sasa ninyi ni wana, Mungu amemtuma Roho wa Mwanae mioyoni mwenu, Roho ambaye hulia "Aba," yaani "Baba."

⁷So thou art no longer bondman, but son; but if son, heir also through God.

⁷Basi, wewe si mtumwa tena, bali mwana. Na ikiwa ni mwana, basi, wewe utapokea yote Mungu aliyowawekea watoto wake.

⁸But then indeed, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods;

⁸Zamani hamkumjua Mungu na hivyo mkatumikia miungu isiyo miungu kweli.

⁹but now, knowing God, but rather being known by God, how do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly principles to which ye desire to be again anew in bondage?

⁹Lakini sasa, kwa vile mnamjua Mungu, au tuseme mnajulikana na Mungu, mnawezaje tena kurudi kwa wale pepo maskini na dhaifu hata kutaka kuwatumikia tena?

¹⁰Ye observe days and months and times and years.

¹⁰Bado mnaadhimisha siku, miezi na miaka!

¹¹I am afraid of you, lest indeed I have laboured in vain as to you.

¹¹Nahofu kwamba labda kazi niliyoifanya kwa ajili yenu imepotea bure!

¹²Be as *I* [am], for *I* also [am] as *ye*, brethren, I beseech you: ye have not at all wronged me.

¹²Ndugu, nawasihi muwe kama mimi, kwa vile hata mimi nimekuwa kama ninyi. Hamkunitendea ubaya wowote.

¹³But ye know that in weakness of the flesh I announced the glad tidings to you at the first;

¹³Mnajua kwamba ugonjwa wangu ndio ulionipatia fursa ya kuwahubirieni Habari Njema kwa mara ya kwanza.

¹⁴and my temptation, which [was] in my flesh, ye did not slight nor reject with contempt; but ye received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.

¹⁴Hata 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.

¹⁵What then [was] your blessedness? for I bear you witness that, if possible, plucking out your own eyes ye would have given [them] to me.

¹⁵Mlikuwa wenye furaha; sasa kumetokea nini? Naapa kwamba wakati ule mngaliweza hata kuyang'oa macho yenu na kunipa mimi.

¹⁶So I have become your enemy in speaking the truth to you?

¹⁶Je, sasa nimekuwa adui yenu kwa sababu ya kuwaambieni ukweli?

¹⁷They are not rightly zealous after you, but desire to shut you out [from us], that ye may be zealous after them.

¹⁷Hao watu wengine wanawahangaikia ninyi, lakini nia zao si njema. Wanataka kuwatenganisha nami ili ninyi muwahangaikie wao.

¹⁸But [it is] right to be zealous at all times in what is right, and not only when I am present with you --

¹⁸Kwa kweli ni jambo jema daima kuwahangaikia wengine katika mambo mema, na si tu wakati mimi nipo pamoja nanyi.

¹⁹my children, of whom I again travail in birth until Christ shall have been formed in you:

¹⁹Watoto wangu, kama vile mama mja mzito anavyotaabika wakati wa kujifungua, mimi nataabika tena kwa ajili yenu mpaka hapo hali yake Kristo itakapoundwa ndani yenu.

²⁰and I should wish to be present with you now, and change my voice, for I am perplexed as to you.

²⁰Laiti ningekuwa pamoja nanyi sasa, maana ningalipata msimamo ufaao juu yenu! Nina wasiwasi sana nanyi!

²¹Tell me, ye who are desirous of being under law, do ye not listen to the law?

²¹Niambieni, enyi mnaopenda kutawaliwa na sheria: Je, mnasikia isemavyo Sheria?

²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons; one of the maid servant, and one of the free woman.

²²Imeandikwa katika Maandiko Matakatifu kwamba Abrahamu alikuwa na watoto wawili: mmoja kwa mwanamke mtumwa, na wa pili kwa mwanamke huru.

²³But he [that was] of the maid servant was born according to flesh, and he [that was] of the free woman through the promise.

²³Yule wa mwanamke mtumwa alizaliwa kama kawaida, lakini yule wa mwanamke huru alizaliwa kutokana na ahadi ya Mungu.

²⁴Which things have an allegorical sense; for these are two covenants: one from mount Sinai, gendering to bondage, which is Hagar.

²⁴Mambo 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.

²⁵For Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which [is] now, for she is in bondage with her children;

²⁵Hagari anawakilisha mlima Sinai ulioko Arabia, na ni mfano wa Yerusalemu ya sasa, ulio mtumwa pamoja na watoto wake.

²⁶but the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother.

²⁶Lakini Yerusalemu ya juu mbinguni ni mji ulio huru, nao ni mama yetu.

²⁷For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break out and cry, thou that travailest not; because the children of the desolate are more numerous than [those] of her that has a husband.

²⁷Maana 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."

²⁸But *ye*, brethren, after the pattern of Isaac, are children of promise.

²⁸Sasa, basi, ndugu zangu, ninyi ni watoto wa Mungu kutokana na ahadi yake kama alivyokuwa Isaka.

²⁹But as then he that was born according to flesh persecuted him [that was born] according to Spirit, so also [it is] now.

²⁹Lakini 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.

³⁰But what says the scripture? Cast out the maid servant and her son; for the son of the maid servant shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.

³⁰Lakini Maandiko Matakatifu yasemaje? Yasema: "Mfukuze mama mtumwa pamoja na mwanawe; maana mtoto wa mtumwa hatarithi pamoja na mtoto wa mama huru."

³¹So then, brethren, we are not maid servant's children, but [children] of the free woman.

³¹Kwa hiyo, basi, ndugu, sisi si watoto wa mtumwa bali wa mama huru.