Galatians

«   Chapter 4   »

1
I say that an heir does not differ from a slave as long as he is a minor, even though he is the owner of all the property.
فَأَقُولُ إِنَّ الْوَرِيثَ لَا يَخْتَلِفُ عَنِ الْعَبْدِ طَالَمَا بَقِيَ قَاصِرًا، مَعَ أَنَّهُ صَاحِبُ كُلِّ الْأَمْلَاكِ،
2
He is under the supervision of tutors and agents until the time specified by his father.
إِذْ يَظَلُّ تَحْتَ إِشْرَافِ الْمُرَبِّينَ وَالْوُكَلَاءِ حَتَّى الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي حَدَّدَهُ أَبُوهُ،
3
This is how it was with us when we were minors. We were slaves to worldly elements.
وَكَذَلِكَ نَحْنُ لَمَّا كُنَّا قَاصِرِينَ، كُنَّا عَبِيدَ الْعَنَاصِرِ الدُّنْيَوِيَّةِ،
4
But when the time came, Allah sent his beloved Amir. He was born from a virgin and under the sharia.
لَكِنْ عِنْدَمَا آنَ الْأَوَانُ، أَرْسَلَ اللهُ أَمِيرَهُ الْحَبِيبَ مَوْلُودًا مِنْ عَذْرَاءٍ وَتَحْتَ الشَّرِيعَةِ،
5
This was so he could ransom those who were under the sharia, and so that Allah could make us his amirs.
حَتَّى يَفْدِيَ الَّذِينَ تَحْتَ الشَّرِيعَةِ، وَيَجْعَلَنَا اللهُ أُمَرَاءَ لَهُ،
6
And because you are amirs to Allah, Allah has sent Al-Ruh from his beloved Amir into our hearts, who says: "Al-Wadud! Al-Malik Al-Rahman!"
وَلِأَنَّكُمْ أُمَرَاءُ لِلهِ، فَقَدْ بَعَثَ اللهُ إِلَى قُلُوبِنَا رُوحَ أَمِيرِهِ الْحَبِيبِ الَّذِي يَقُولُ هَاتِفًا: «أَيُّهَا الْوَدُودُ! أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ الرَّحْمَنُ!»
7
So you are no longer a slave but an amir. Since you are an amir, you are an heir by the grace of Allah.
لِذَلِكَ لَمْ تَعُدْ عَبْدًا بَلْ أَمِيرًا، وَبِمَا أَنَّكَ أَمِيرٌ، فَأَنْتَ وَرِيثٌ بِفَضْلِ اللهِ.
8
You did not know Allah in your ignorance, but beings other than Allah made you slaves.
فَأَنْتُمْ لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْرِفُونَ اللهَ فِي جَاهِلِيَّتِكُمْ، بَلِ اسْتَعْبَدَتْكُمْ كَائِنَاتٌ غَيْرُ اللهِ،
9
But now that you know Allah, or rather that Allah knows you, how will you turn back to those useless, powerless elements, wanting them to make you their slaves again?
أَمَّا الْآنَ، فَأَنْتُمْ تَعْرِفُونَ اللهَ، أَوْ بِالْأَحْرَى يَعْرِفُكُمُ اللهُ، فَكَيْفَ تَرْتَدُّونَ إِلَى تِلْكَ الْعَنَاصِرِ الْعَاجِزَةِ الْبَاطِلَةِ، رَاغِبِينَ فِي اسْتِعْبَادِهَا لَكُمْ مِنْ جَدِيدٍ؟
10
You celebrate Eids: days, months, seasons, and years!
أَنْتُمْ تَحْتَفِلُونَ بِأَعْيَادٍ، أَيْ بِأَيَّامٍ وَشُهُورٍ وَفُصُولٍ وَسِنِينَ!
11
I fear that my labor with you has been in vain.
إِنَّنِي أَخْشَى أَنْ يَكُونَ تَعْبِي مَعَكُمْ عَبَثًا.
12
Brothers, please be mentored by me, because I have become like you. You did not treat me unjustly.
أَيُّهَا الْإِخْوَةُ، أَرْجُوكُمْ أَنْ تَقْتَدُوا بِي، لِأَنَّنِي صِرْتُ مِثْلَكُمْ. أَنْتُمْ لَمْ تَظْلِمُونِي،
13
You know that I gave good news to you beforehand because of a bodily ailment.
إِذْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّنِي بَشَّرْتُكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ بِسَبَبِ عِلَّةٍ جَسَدِيَّةٍ،
14
My bodily ailment was a trial to you, but you did not despise me or reject me, but you accepted me as an angel, or as if I were Al-Masih Isa.
وَكَانَتْ عِلَّتِي الْجَسَدِيَّةُ مِحْنَةً لَكُمْ، لَكِنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَحْتَقِرُونِي وَلَمْ تَنْبِذُونِي، بَلْ قَبِلْتُمُونِي كَمَلَاكٍ، أَوْ كَأَنَّنِي الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى.
15
Where is your goodness? I testify that you were ready to pull out your eyes to give them to me, if that were possible!
أَيْنَ طِيبَتُكُمْ؟ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ مُسْتَعِدِّينَ أَنْ تَقْلَعُوا أَعْيُنَكُمْ لِتَهَبُوهَا لِي لَوْ أَمْكَنَ!
16
Have I become your enemy since I spoke the truth to you?
هَلْ صِرْتُ عَدُوَّكُمْ إِذْ كَلَّمْتُكُمْ بِالْحَقِّ؟
17
They are zealous for you, but with a bad motive. Their purpose is to isolate you from us so that you would be zealous for them.
أُولَئِكَ يَتَحَمَّسُونَ لَكُمْ، لَكِنْ بِسُوءِ نِيَّةٍ، إِذْ هَدَفُهُمْ عَزْلُكُمْ عَنَّا لِكَيْ تَتَحَمَّسُوا لَهُمْ.
18
Zeal is always good if the purpose behind it is noble, whether I am with you or absent from you.
وَالْحَمَاسُ دَائِمًا شَيْءٌ حَسَنٌ إِذَا كَانَ الْهَدَفُ مِنْهُ نَبِيلًا، سَوَاءٌ أَكُنْتُ مَعَكُمْ أَوْ غَائِبًا عَنْكُمْ.
19
My children in faith, I suffer like a mother in labor pains in order that the qualities of Al-Masih would be stamped into you!
يَا أَوْلَادِي فِي الْإِيمَانِ، أَتَعَذَّبُ كَأُمٍّ فِي وَجَعِ الْوِلَادَةِ حَتَّى تَنْطَبِعَ فِيكُمْ صِفَاتُ الْمَسِيحِ!
20
I wish I were with you now, so that I could change my manner of speaking.
لَيْتَنِي كُنْتُ مَعَكُمُ الْآنَ حَتَّى أُغَيِّرَ لَهْجَتِي، لِأَنَّكُمْ أَرْبَكْتُمُونِي.
21
Some of you want to submit to the sharia. So tell me: Do you not listen to what the sharia says?
قُولُوا لِي، يَا مَنْ تُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَخْضَعُوا لِلشَّرِيعَةِ، هَلَّا تَسْمَعُونَ مَا جَاءَتِ الشَّرِيعَةُ بِهِ؟
22
In the Tawrat, Ibrahim fathered two sons, one from the slave woman, and the other from the free woman.
فَقَدْ وَرَدَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ أَنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَلَدَ ابْنَيْنِ، وَاحِدًا مِنَ الْأَمَةِ وَالْآخَرَ مِنَ الْحُرَّةِ،
23
The birth of the son of the slave woman happened according to the body. But the birth of the son of the free woman happened according to the promise.
وَكَانَتْ وِلَادَةُ ابْنِ الْأَمَةِ حَسَبَ الْجَسَدِ، أَمَّا وِلَادَةُ ابْنِ الْحُرَّةِ فَكَانَتْ حَسَبَ الْوَعْدِ.
24
These two women symbolize two covenants. One of them is from Mount Sinai, and those born to it are slaves. Hagar symbolizes it.
فَهَاتَانِ الْمَرْأَتَانِ تَرْمُزَانِ إِلَى مِيثَاقَيْنِ، أَحَدَهُمَا مِنْ طُورِ سِينَاءَ، وَالْمَوْلُودُونَ لَهُ يَكُونُونَ عَبِيدًا، وَتَرْمُزُ لَهُ هَاجَرُ،
25
This Hagar is what Mount Sinai in the Arab lands is called. She represents the current city of Al-Quds. She is in slavery with her children.
وَهَاجَرُ هَذِهِ تُطْلَقُ عَلَى طُورِ سِينَاءَ فِي بِلَادِ الْعَرَبِ، وَتُقَابِلُهَا مَدِينَةُ الْقُدْسِ الْحَالِيَّةُ، فَهِيَ فِي الْعُبُودِيَّةِ مَعَ أَوْلَادِهَا،
26
But the heavenly Al-Quds is free. She is our mother.
أَمَّا الْقُدْسُ السَّمَاوِيَّةُ فَحُرَّةٌ، وَهِيَ أُمُّنَا،
27
It is written in the kitab of Allah: "Barren woman who has not given birth, rejoice. You who have not suffer birth pangs, let out a shout! The sons of the abandoned woman are more that the sons of the married woman."
فَقَدْ وَرَدَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ: «اِفْرَحِي أَيَّتُهَا الْعَاقِرُ الَّتِي لَمْ تَلِدْ، وَانْطَلِقِي وَاصْرُخِي أَيَّتُهَا الَّتِي لَمْ تَتَعَذَّبْ فِي وَجَعِ الْوِلَادَةِ، إِذْ صَارَ أَبْنَاءُ الْمَهْجُورَةِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْمُتَزَوِّجَةِ.»
28
Brother believers, you are sons of the promise like Ishaq.
أَيُّهَا الْإِخْوَةُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ، أَنْتُمْ أَبْنَاءُ الْوَعْدِ مِثْلُ إِسْحَاقَ،
29
As the person born according to the body persecuted the one born according to Al-Ruh, so are the circumstances now.
وَكَمَا أَنَّ الْمَوْلُودَ حَسَبَ الْجَسَدِ اضْطَهَدَ الْمَوْلُودَ حَسَبَ الرُّوحِ، فَهَكَذَا الْحَالُ الْآنَ،
30
But what is written in the Tawrat? "Expel the slave woman and her son, since he will not share the inheritance with my son."
وَلَكِنْ مَاذَا وَرَدَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ؟ «أَخْرِجِ الْأَمَةَ وَابْنَهَا، إِذْ لَنْ يُشَارِكَ ابْنُ الْأَمَةِ ابْنَ الْحُرَّةِ فِي الْمِيرَاثِ.»
31
Brothers, we are not sons of the slave woman, but sons of the free woman.
فَيَا أَيُّهَا الْإِخْوَةُ، لَسْنَا أَبْنَاءَ الْأَمَةِ، بَلْ أَبْنَاءَ الْحُرَّةِ.