Questions about Marriage
1 Now I will answer the questions you asked in your letter. You asked, “Is it best for people not to marry?” 2 Well, having your own husband or wife should keep you from doing something immoral. 3 Husbands and wives should be fair with each other about having sex. 4 A wife belongs to her husband instead of to herself, and a husband belongs to his wife instead of to himself. 5 So don't refuse sex to each other, unless you agree not to have sex for a little while, in order to spend time in prayer. Then Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 In my opinion that is what should be done, though I don't know of anything the Lord said about this matter. 7 I wish all of you were like me, but God has given different gifts to each of us.
8 My advice for the unmarried and for widows is that it is acceptable for them to remain single, just as I am. 9 But if you don't have enough self-control, then go ahead and get married. After all, it is better to marry than to burn with desire.
10 I instruct married couples to stay together, and this is exactly what the Lord himself taught. A wife who leaves her husband 11 should either stay single or go back to her husband. And a husband should not leave his wife.
12 I don't know of anything else the Lord said about marriage. All I can do is to give you my own advice. If your wife isn't a follower of the Lord, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce her. 13 If your husband isn't a follower, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce him. 14 Your husband or wife who isn't a follower is made holy by having you as a partner. This also makes your children holy and keeps them from being unclean in God's sight.
15 If your husband or wife isn't a follower of the Lord and decides to divorce you, then you should agree to it. You are no longer bound to that person. After all, God chose you and wants you to live at peace. 16 And besides, how do you know if you will be able to save your husband or wife who isn't a follower?
Obeying the Lord at All Times
17 In every church I tell the people to stay as they were when the Lord Jesus chose them and God called them to be his own. Now I say the same thing to you. 18 If you are already circumcised, don't try to change it. If you are not circumcised, don't get circumcised. 19 Being circumcised or uncircumcised isn't really what matters. The important thing is to obey God's commands. 20 So don't try to change what you were when God chose you. 21 Are you a slave? Don't let that bother you. But if you can win your freedom, you should. 22 When the Lord chooses slaves, they become his free people. And when he chooses free people, they become slaves of Christ. 23 God paid a great price for you. So don't become slaves of anyone else. 24 Stay what you were when God chose you.
Unmarried People
25 I don't know of anything the Lord said about people who have never been married. But I will tell you what I think. And you can trust me, because the Lord has treated me with kindness. 26 We are now going through hard times, and I think it is best for you to stay as you are. 27 If you are married, stay married. If you are not married, don't try to get married. 28 It isn't wrong to marry, even if you have never been married before. But those who marry will have a lot of trouble, and I want to protect you from this.
29 My friends, what I mean is that the Lord will soon come, and it won't matter if you are married or not. 30 It will be all the same if you are crying or laughing, or if you are buying or are completely broke. 31 It won't make any difference how much good you are getting from this world or how much you like it. This world as we know it is now passing away.
32 I want all of you to be free from worry. An unmarried man worries about how to please the Lord. 33 But a married man has more worries. He must worry about the things of this world, because he wants to please his wife. 34 So he is pulled in two directions. Unmarried women and women who have never been married worry only about pleasing the Lord, and they keep their bodies and minds pure. But a married woman worries about the things of this world, because she wants to please her husband. 35 What I am saying is for your own good—it isn't to limit your freedom. I want to help you to live right and to love the Lord above all else.
36 But suppose you are engaged to someone old enough to be married, and you want her so much that all you can think about is getting married. Then go ahead and marry. There is nothing wrong with that. 37 But it is better to have self-control and to make up your mind not to marry. 38 It is perfectly all right to marry, but it is better not to get married at all.
39 A wife should stay married to her husband until he dies. Then she is free to marry again, but only to a man who is a follower of the Lord. 40 However, I think I am obeying God's Spirit when I say she would be happier to stay single.
Oonakuhombola noonakulikalela tava kumaidwa
1 Hano mokupopya oinima ei mwe i shangela nge ohandi ti: Osha wapalela omulumenhu a kale ita kumu omukainhu. 2 Ndelenee mokuyepa oluhaelo omulumenhu keshe na kale nomukainhu waye mwene, nomukainhu keshe na kale e nomulumenhu waye mwene. 3 Omulumenhu na wanife eemhumbwe domukainhu waye, nomukainhu osho na kale nomulumenhu waye. 4 Omukainhu ke nelipangelo okupangela olutu laye, omulumenhu oye tuu, osho tuu nomulumenhu ke nelipangelo okupangela olutu laye, ndelenee omukainhu oye tuu. 5 Inamu lidilikafana, okuninga mwe shi pangela mu likalele manga, opo mu liyandje keilikano, nye mu ye vali pamwe, opo muha shindwe kuSatana omolwokuhelipangela kweni. 6 Ndelenee eshi onde shi tya omolweitavelo, hashipango. 7 Ame onda hala ngeno ovanhu aveshe va kale ngaashi ame ndi li; ndele keshe umwe a pewe oshali yaye kuKalunga, umwe ei nomukwao inya.
8 Ndelenee ovo inava hombola novafiyekadi, ohandi va lombwele: otashi va wapalele ngeenge tava kala ngaashi ame ndi li. 9 Ndele ngeenge itava dulu okulipangela, nava hombole, osheshi okuhombola ku dule okuxwikwa kouhalu.
10 Ndelenee ava va hombola ohandi va lombwele, haame, ndele Omwene, nokutya, omukainhu ina henga omulumenhu waye. 11 Ndele ngee a hengana, na kale ina hombolwa, ile nava paafane ombili nomulumenhu waye; nomulumenhu aha henge omukainhu waye.
12 Ndelenee ava vamwe, ame ohandi va lombwele, haOmwene, ngee oku na omumwatate e nomukainhu ehe fi omwiitaveli, ndele a hokwa okukala puye, ine mu henga; 13 nosho yo ngeenge oku na omukainhu e nomulumenhu ehe fi omwiitaveli, nokwa hala okukala naye, ina henga omulumenhu waye. 14 Osheshi omulumenhu ehe fi omwiitaveli, a yapulwa omolwomukainhu, nomukainhu ehe fi omwiitaveli a yapulwa omolwomulumenhu omwiitaveli; ngeno kakwa li ngaha, ngeno ovana veni ova nyata, ndelenee paife ovo ovayapuki. 15 Ndelenee ou ehe fi omwiitaveli ngee a hala oku mu henga, ne mu henge, omumwatate omulumenhu nomumwameme omukainhu vehe fi ovapika voinima ya tya ngaha; osheshi Kalunga e mu ifanena ombili. 16 Osheshi oto shi shiiva peni omukainhu ove, nokutya, oto dulu okuxupifa omulumenhu woye, ile omulumenhu ove, oto shi shiiva peni, nokutya, to dulu okuxupifa omukainhu woye?
17 Ndelenee keshe omunhu na kale nokweenda ngaashi Omwene e mu pa, mwaai Kalunga e mu ifanena. Nelombwelo eli handi lombwele omaongalo aeshe. 18 Ngee pe na umwe a ifanwa ndele a hangika a pita etanda, ine liningifa a fa ina pita etanda; nongeenge ope na ou a ifanwa ndele ina pita etanda, ye ine lipitififa etanda. 19 Okupita etanda kaku na sha, nokukala ino pita etanda kashi na sha, ndelenee ewanifo loipango yaKalunga olo alike. 20 Keshe umwe na kale mwaai a hangika keifano. 21 Ngee wa hangika omupika eshi wa ifanwa, ino nyika oufiye, ndele ngeenge oto mono omhito okupewa emanguluko, hixwe u li tambule. 22 Osheshi ou a ifanenwa mOmwene a hangwa omupika, oye omumangululwa wOmwene; nosho tuu ou a ifanwa a hangika omudalwa, oye omupika waKristus. 23 Onye omwa kulilwa noikulila idjuu, inamu ninga ovapika vovanhu. 24 Ovamwatate, keshe tuu ou na kale koshipala shaKalunga mwaai a hangika mo keifano laye.
25 Mokutonga oukadona inandi pewa oshipango shOmwene, ndele ohandi tongo omayele ange ngaashi ou a filwa onghenda kOmwene, onghee ondi shi okulineekelwa. 26 Hano ame ohandi diladila, omolwoudjuu wefimbo tali ehene popepi, osha wapala omunhu keshe a kale ngaashi e li. 27 Ove ngeenge we limangeleka kumwe nomukainhu, ino konga emangululo; ngeenge ino limangeleka komukainhu, ino konga omukainhu. 28 Ndele ngeenge to hombola, ito nyono; nokakadona ngeenge taka ka hombolwa, itaka nyono, ndelenee ava tave shi ningi ovo tave ke lietela oudjuu wopalutu, ndele nda hala ndi mu xupife muwo.
29 Ndelenee ovamwatate, ohandi ti: efimbo olo olixupi, onghee hano ava ve novakainhu, nava kale momafiku aa a xupa, va fa kave va kwete. 30 Naava tava lili, va fe ovo itava lili, naava va hafa, va fe ovo itava hafe, naava tave lilandele sha, va fe ovo vehe na sha. 31 Naava hava longifa ounyuni ou, va kale va fa ovo ihave u longifa; osheshi olupe lounyuni ou otali xulu po.
32 Ndele onda hala mu kale muhe noisho. Omulumenhu ina hombola oku na oshisho shaai yOmwene, nhumbi a wapalele Omwene; 33 ndelenee ou a hombola e na oisho yopaunyuni nokutya, nhumbi a wapalele omukainhu waye; 34 nomadiladilo aye taa kala a tukauka. Osho tuu omukainhu ehe na vali omulumenhu, nokakadona, ove noisho yaai yOmwene, opo va kale ovayapuki kolutu nokomhepo, ndelenee omuhombolwa oku noisho yopaunyuni nokutya, nhumbi ta wapalele omulumenhu waye. 35 Eshi ohandi shi mu lombwele molwouwa weni vene, haku mu telifa omwiyo, ndelenee opo mu kale meenghedi diwa nye mu kale mOmwene muhe na epiyaano. 36 Ndele ngee ope na ou a konga okakadona ndele okwa hala oku mu hombola, nava hombolafane, osheshi itava nyono. 37 Ndele ou e na okakadona nota dulu okupangela omahalo aye opambelela, nena oshiwa a kale ine ka hombola. 38 Hano ou ta hombola okakadona kaye ota ningi nawa; naau ita hombola, ota ningi nawa unene.
39 Omukainhu a mangelwa kumwe nomulumenhu waye fimbo ye e nomwenyo, ndele omulumenhu waye ngeenge ta fi, ye a manguluka a hombolwe kwaau a hala, shimha tashi ningilwa mOmwene. 40 Ndele ngeenge ta kala ngaashi e li, elao laye olinene; olo ediladilo lange, nondi shi shii naame yo ondi nOmhepo yaKalunga.
