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;

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

²but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed 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 elemental principles of the world.

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

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

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

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

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

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!”

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

¹⁰Bado mnaadhimisha siku, miezi na miaka!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁸But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, 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 little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

²⁴These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children 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 this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists 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 that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

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

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

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."

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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