KwabaseGalathiya 4

4 ¹Ngiyasho: lapho indlalifa iseyingane, ayihlukile nhlobo esigqileni, nakuba iphethe konke. ²Ingaphansi kwabanakekeli nabaphathi-mpahla kuze kufike isikhathi esamiswa nguyise. ³Ngokunjalo nathi, lapho sisengabantwana, sasigqilaziwe ngaphansi kwamandla ayisisekelo ezwe. ^a a v3 ‘Amandla ayisisekelo’ asho amandla omoya ayisisekelo noma imithetho ebusayo eyayilawula impilo yabantu ngaphambi kokuba uKhristu afike. ⁴Kwathi lapho isikhathi sesigcwalisekile, uBaba wethu wathuma iNdodana yakhe, yazalwa ngowesifazane, yazalwa ngaphansi komthetho, ⁵ukuze ahlenge labo abangaphansi komthetho, ukuze samukelwe njengamadodana. ^b b v5 Ukubuyiselwa ebudodaneni obugcwele: uBaba wethu enika umntwana wakhe isikhundla esigcwele sendodana — amalungelo agcwele, ifa eligcwele, ukuba ngowakhe ngokugcwele. Akusona isivumelwano somthetho esikude, kodwa umndeni asidalela wona.

⁶Futhi ngenxa yokuthi ningamadodana, uBaba wethu wathumela uMoya weNdodana yakhe ezinhliziyweni zethu, ememeza uthi: “Abba, Baba!” ^c c v6 “Abba” kwakuyisililo esiseduze kakhulu sikaJesu uqobo kuBaba wethu — igama umntwana alisebenzisayo kumzali amthanda kakhulu. NgoMoya weNdodana yakhe, uBaba wethu ubeka sona leso sililo ezindebeni zayo yonke indodana nendodakazi ebuyiselwe.

⁷Ngakho awusayona isigqila kodwa uyindodana; futhi uma uyindodana, ngakho uyindlalifa ngoBaba wethu.

UBaba Wethu Ukwazi Ngegama Lakho

⁸Ngaleso sikhathi, ningamazi uBaba wethu, naniyizigqila zalabo abangeyona onkulunkulu ngemvelo. ⁹Kodwa manje njengoba senimazi uBaba wethu — noma kunalokho, senaziwa nguBaba wethu — ningabuyela kanjani futhi kuwo amandla ayisisekelo abuthakathaka, angasizi ngalutho? Nifuna ukuphinde nibe yizigqila zawo futhi na? ¹⁰Nigcina izinsuku nezinyanga nezinkathi neminyaka! ¹¹Ngiyanesabela — mhlawumbe umsebenzi engiwusebenzele nina ube yize. ¹²Yibani njengami, bazalwane, ngokuba nami ngaba njengani. Anizange ningone ngalutho. ¹³Niyazi ukuthi ngaqala ukushumayela ivangeli kini ngenxa yokugula komzimba, ¹⁴futhi nakuba isimo sami sasiyisilingo kini, aningedelelanga futhi aningalanga. Kunalokho, nangamukela njengengelosi kaBaba wethu — njengoKhristu uJesu ngokwakhe. ¹⁵Siphi-ke isibusiso senu? Ngifakaza ukuthi, ukuba beningakwazi, naningakhipha amehlo enu niwanike mina. ¹⁶Ngakho sengibe yisitha senu yini ngokunitshela iqiniso? ¹⁷Banishisekela, kodwa hhayi ngokuhle; bafuna ukunivalela ngaphandle, ukuze nibashisekele. ¹⁸Ukushisekela into enhle kuhle njalo — hhayi kuphela lapho nginani.

¹⁹Bantwana bami, engiphinde ngizwe ubuhlungu bokunibeletha, kuze uKhristu abunjwe kini. ²⁰Ngifisa sengathi ngabe nginani manje, ukuze ngiguqule izwi lami — ngididekile ngani.

UHagari noSara: Izivumelwano Ezimbili

²¹Ngitsheleni, nina enifuna ukuba ngaphansi komthetho, anizwa yini umthetho? ²²Ngokuba umBhalo uthi u-Abhrahama wayenamadodana amabili, enye ngowesifazane oyisigqila, enye ngowesifazane okhululekile. ²³Indodana yakhe ngowesifazane oyisigqila yazalwa ngokwenyama; indodana yakhe ngowesifazane okhululekile, ngesithembiso. ²⁴Lokhu kungumfanekiso: abesifazane bamelela izivumelwano ezimbili. Esinye, esivela eNtabeni iSinayi, sizalela abantwana ebugqilini — lesi nguHagari. ²⁵UHagari umelela iNtaba iSinayi ese-Arabiya futhi uhambelana neJerusalema yanamuhla, ngokuba uyisigqila kanye nabantwana bakhe. ²⁶Kodwa iJerusalema engaphezulu ikhululekile, futhi ingumama wethu.

²⁷Ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Jabula, wena wesifazane oyinyumba ongazaliyo; qhumuka umemeze, wena ongezwa buhlungu bokubeletha; ngokuba owesifazane oshiyiweyo unabantwana abaningi kunalowo onomyeni.

²⁸Manje nina, bazalwane, njengo-Isaka, ningabantwana besithembiso. ²⁹Kodwa njengoba ngaleso sikhathi indodana eyazalwa ngokwemvelo yayishushisa leyo eyazalwa ngokoMoya, kunjalo namanje. ³⁰Kodwa umBhalo uthini? “Xosha owesifazane oyisigqila nendodana yakhe, ngokuba indodana yowesifazane oyisigqila ayisoze yadla ifa kanye nendodana yowesifazane okhululekile.” ³¹Ngakho-ke, bazalwane, asibona abantwana bowesifazane oyisigqila, kodwa abowesifazane okhululekile.