¹But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;

¹Zvino ndinoti, mudyi wenhaka, kana achingori mwana chete, haatongosiyani nemuranda, kunyange ari ishe wezvose;

²but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.

²asi uri pasi pevarairidzi nevatariri kusvikira panguva yakatarwa nababa.

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

³Saizvozvo nesu, apo takanga tichiri vana, taiva muuranda pasi pedzidziso dzekutanga dzenyika;

⁴But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,

⁴Asi apo kuzara kwenguva kwakati kwasvika, Mwari wakatuma Mwanakomana wake, wakaitwa nemukadzi, wakaitwa pasi pemurairo,

⁵that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.

⁵kuti adzikunure vari pasi pemurairo, kuti tigamuchire kuitwa vanakomana.

⁶And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Abba is a Greek spelling for the Aramaic word for “Father” or “Daddy” used in a familiar, respectful, and loving way. Father!”

⁶Uye nekuti muri vanakomana, Mwari wakatuma Mweya weMwanakomana wake mumoyo yenyu, achidanidzira achiti: Abha*, Baba!

⁷So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

⁷Saka iwe hausisiri muranda, asi mwanakomana; kana wava mwanakomana, wava mudyi wenhaka yaMwari kubudikidza naKristu.

⁸However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.

⁸Asi nenguva iyo, musati maziva Mwari, maiva varanda vaivo vasati vari vamwari pachisikigo;

⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

⁹asi ikozvino sezvo moziva Mwari, zvikuru zvamunozikamwa naMwari modzokerazve sei kuurongwa hwusina simba hweurombo, hwamunoshuvazve kuva muuranda hwahwo?

¹⁰You observe days, months, seasons, and years.

¹⁰Munochengetedza misi, nemwedzi, nenguva, nemakore.

¹¹I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

¹¹Ndinokutyirai, zvimwe ndakashingairira pasina kwamuri.

¹²I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,

¹²Ivai seni, nekuti ini ndakaitawo semwi, hama, ndinokukumbirisai. Hamuna kutombonditadzira chinhu;

¹³but you know that because of weakness of the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.

¹³zvino munoziva kuti nemuundonda panyama, ndakaparidza evhangeri kwamuri pakutanga,

¹⁴That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

¹⁴nemuedzo wangu waiva panyama yangu hamuna kuzvidza kana kuramba; asi makandigamuchira semutumwa waMwari, saKristu Jesu.

¹⁵What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

¹⁵Zvino kuropafadza kwenyu ndekupi? Nekuti ndinopupura nezvenyu, kuti kana zvichibvira, mutumbure meso enyu muape kwandiri.

¹⁶So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

¹⁶Zvino ndava muvengi wenyu nekukuuudzai chokwadi here?

¹⁷They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.

¹⁷Vanokushingairirai nemutowo usakanaka; asi vanoda kukusiyai kunze, kuti imwi muvashingairire.

¹⁸But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.

¹⁸Asi zvakanaka kushingaira pachinhu chakanaka nguva dzose, uye kwete kana ndiripo nemwi chete.

¹⁹My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you—

¹⁹Vana vangu vaduku, vandinorwadziwazve nemimba pakubereka, kusvikira Kristu aumbwa mamuri.

²⁰but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

²⁰Ndinoshuva kuvapo nemwi ikozvino, uye kushandura inzwi rangu; nekuti ndiri mukukahadzika pamusoro penyu.

²¹Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?

²¹Ndiudzei, imwi munoshuva kuva pasi pemurairo, hamunzwi murairo here?

²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the free woman.

²²Nekuti kwakanyorwa kuti Abhurahamu wakange ane vanakomana vaviri, umwe nemurandakadzi, umwe nemukadzi wakasununguka.

²³However, the son by the handmaid was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.

²³Asi wemurandakadzi wakaberekwa nenzira yenyama; asi wemukadzi wakasununguka nechivimbiso.

²⁴These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.

²⁴Zvinhu izvi zvinofananidzira; nekuti ava isungano mbiri; imwe inobva pagomo reSinai, inobereka vana vevuranda, inova Agari.

²⁵For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.

²⁵Zvino Agari uyu ndiro gomo reSinai muArabhiya, rinomiririra Jerusarema razvino uye riri pauranda pamwe nevana varo.

²⁶But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

²⁶Zvino Jerusarema riri kumusoro rakasununguka rinova mai vedu tose.

²⁷For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break forth and shout, you that don’t travail. For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband.” Isaiah 54:1

²⁷Nekuti kwakanyorwa kuchinzi: Fara, iwe mhanje, usingazvari, Pururudza, udanidzire, iwe usingarwadziwi nemimba, nekuti musiiwa unavana vazhinji kunovaiye unomurume.

²⁸Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

²⁸Zvino isu, hama, saIsaka tiri vana vechivimbiso.

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

²⁹Asi sepanguva iyo, uyo wakaberekwa nemutowo wenyama wakamutambudza iye wemutovo weMweya, zvakadaro kunyange ikozvino.

³⁰However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the handmaid and her son, for the son of the handmaid will not inherit with the son of the free woman.” Genesis 21:10

³⁰Asi rugwaro runoti kudini? Dzinga murandakadzi nemwanakomana wake; nekuti mwanakomana wemurandakadzi haangavi mudyi wenhaka pamwe nemwanakomana wewakasununguka.

³¹So then, brothers, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the free woman.

³¹Naizvozvo, hama, hatizi vana vemurandakadzi, asi vewakasununguka.