4 1 Wetin I dey talk be say: as di heir still be pikin, e no different from slave, even though na him get everytin. 2 E dey under people wey dey mind am and people wey dey keep im property, until di time wey im papa don set reach. 3 Na so e be for us too, wen we bin be pikin, dem bin make us slave under di elemental forces of dis world. a a v3 'Elemental forces' mean di basic spiritual powers or di rules wey bin dey control human life before Christ come. 4 But wen di time reach well-well, our Papa send im Pikin, wey woman born, wey dem born under di law, 5 make e fit redeem dose wey dey under di law, so dat dem go fit receive us as im pikin dem. b b v5 Restoration to full sonship: our Papa dey give im pikin di full position of true son — full right, full inheritance, full belonging. No be some far-away legal arrangement, but di family wey E make us for.
6 And because una be im pikin, our Papa send di Spirit of im Pikin enter our heart, wey dey cry, “Abba, Papa!” c c v6 “Abba” na Jesus im own intimate cry to our Papa — di name wey pikin dey use call di parent wey e love pass. Through di Spirit of im Pikin, our Papa dey put dat same cry for di mouth of every son and daughter wey E don restore.
7 So you no be slave again but son; and if you be son, den you be heir through our Papa.
Di Papa Know You by Your Name
8 For dat time, wen una no know our Papa, una bin be slave to dose wey no be god by nature. 9 But now wey una don know our Papa — or rather, our Papa don know una — how una fit turn go back again to di weak, useless elemental forces? Una want make dem make una slave again? 10 Una dey observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I dey fear for una—di work wey I do for una fit just waste. 12 Make una be like me, my brothers and sisters, because I become like una. Una no do me any bad tin. 13 Una know say na because of sickness for my body I first preach di gospel give una. 14 and even though my condition bin be trial for una, una no despise me or reject me. Instead, una welcome me like angel of our Papa — like Christ Jesus imself. 15 So wia una blessing dey now? I dey testify say una for don comot una own eyes give me, if una fit. 16 So I don become una enemy now because I tell una di truth? 17 Dem dey run after una with plenty mind, but no be for good reason; dem wan lock una out, so dat una go dey run after dem with plenty mind. 18 To get strong mind for good tin na always good tin — no be only wen I dey with una.
19 My pikin dem, wey I dey feel labor pain again because of, until Christ take shape inside una. 20 I for wish say I dey with una now, make I change how I dey talk—I no know wetin I go do about una.
Hagar and Sarah: Two Covenant
21 Tell me, una wey wan dey under di law, una no dey hear wetin di law dey talk? 22 Because Scripture talk say Abraham get two sons, one from di slave woman, one from di free woman. 23 Im son from di slave woman, na by di flesh dem born am; im son from di free woman, na through promise. 24 Dis one na allegory: di women dem stand for two Covenant. One, wey come from Mount Sinai, dey born pikin into slavery — na dis one be Hagar. 25 Hagar stand for Mount Sinai for Arabia and e match di Jerusalem of today, because she dey for slavery together with her pikin dem. 26 But di Jerusalem wey dey up be free, and she na our mama.
27 Because dem write am say: Rejoice, you barren woman wey no dey born pikin; burst out and shout, you wey no dey feel labor pain; di woman wey dem leave get plenty pikin pass di one wey get husband.
28 Now una, my brothers and sisters, like Isaac, na pikin of promise. 29 But just as for dat time di son wey dem born di ordinary way persecute di son wey dem born according to di Spirit, na so e still be now. 30 But wetin Scripture talk? “Comot di slave woman and her son, because di son of di slave woman no go ever share inheritance with di son of di free woman.” 31 So, my brothers and sisters, we no be pikin of di slave woman, but of di free woman.
