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.
Omapulo kombinga yoondjokana
1 Kombinga yaambyoka mwa nyola, otandi ti ngeyi: Omulumentu ngoka itaa hokana, ota ningi nawa. 2 Ihe omoluuhalu woluhondelo omulumentu kehe oku na okukala e na omukiintu gwe mwene, nomukiintu kehe oku na okukala e na omulumentu gwe mwene. 3 Omulumentu kehe na gwanithile omukiintu gwe oompumbwe dhe. Osho wo nomukiintu na gwanithile omulumentu gwe oompumbwe dhe. Kehe gumwe oku na okugwanithila mukwawo oompumbwe dhe. 4 Omukiintu omuhokanwa ke shi omupangeli gwolutu lwe mwene, ihe omulume oye omupangeli gwalwo. Osho wo nomulumentu ke shi omupangeli gwolutu lwe mwene, ihe omukadhi oye omupangeli gwalwo. 5 Inamu idhilikathana, shila uuna mu uvathana, mu shi ninge okathimbo kowala, opo ethimbo ndyoka mu li longithe mokugalikana Kalunga. Konima yaashoka indeni kumwe ishewe pandjokana ngaashi shito, opo mwaa gwile memakelo lyaSatana, sho itaamu vulu okwiidhidhimika.
6 Shika itandi shi mu lombwele ando pamukalo gwoshipango, ihe opampito ndjoka nde yi pewa. 7 Onda hala, ando aantu ayehe ya kale ngaashi ngame; ihe omuntu kehe okwa pewa kuKalunga omagano gontumba, gumwe oongaka namukwawo oongeyaka.
8 Mboka inaamu ya moondjokana naaselekadhi otandi mu lombwele: Osho opala, ngele itamu yi moondjokana, opo mu fe ndje. 9 Ihe ngele itamu shi vulu, indeni moondjokana, oshoka okuya moondjokana okuhwepo ku vule okuhepekwa kehalo.
10 Mboka ye li moondjokana, otandi ya lombwele oshipango sha zi kOmuwa, kashi shi shandje mwene: Omukiintu ina henga po omulumentu gwe. 11 Ngele ote shi ningi, oku na okukala itaa yi we moondjokana nenge a hangane ishewe nomulumentu gwe. Omulumentu ina henga po nando omukadhi.
12 Aantu yalwe otandi ya lombwele omadhiladhilo gandje, haangoka gOmuwa: Omulumentu omukriste ngoka e na omukadhi kee shi omwiitaali, nomukadhi okwa zimina okukala naye, omulumentu ngoka ine mu henga po. 13 Omukiintu omukriste ngoka a hokanwa komulumentu kee shi omwiitaali nokwa zimina okukala naye, nena omukiintu ngoka ine mu henga po. 14 Oshoka omulumentu kee shi omwiitaali, ota vulu okutaambwa kuKalunga, sho a hangana nomukadhi omwiitaali. Osho tuu wo omukiintu kee shi omwiitaali, ota vulu okutaambwa kuKalunga, sho a hangana nomulumentu gwe omwiitaali. Ando okwa li hasho, ando uunona wawo otau talwa wa fa uunona waapagani, ihe ngashingeyi otau vulu okutaambwa kuKalunga. 15 Ihe ngoka kee shi omwiitaali, ngele okwa hala okuhenga po mukwawo ngoka omukriste, ne shi ninge. Miinima ya tya ngeyi omunandjokana omukriste, omulumentu nenge omukiintu, okwa manguluka okuhogolola; oshoka Kalunga okwe mu ithanene okukalamwenyo ku na ombili. 16 Meme ngoye omukriste, oto shi tseya ngiini kutya ito vulu okuhupitha omulumentu gwoye? Tate ngoye omukriste, oto shi tseya ngiini kutya ito vulu okuhupitha omukiintu gwoye?
Inamu ilundulula
17 Kehe gumwe na kale pamagano ngoka e ga pewa kOmuwa, a kale ngaashi a li, uuna a adhika keithano lyaKalunga. Ndika olyo eutho momagongalo agehe. 18 Kalunga ngele e ku ithana wa fukalekwa, ino kambadhala okulundulula efukaleko. Ngele wi ithanwa inoo fukala, ino ifukalekitha. 19 Okukala wa fukalekwa nenge inoo fukalekwa hasho shi na oshilonga. Shoka shi na oshilonga, osho okuvulika kiipango yaKalunga. 20 Kehe gumwe na kale pomuthika gwe mpoka a li, uuna a adhika keithano lyaKalunga. 21 Ngele owa li omupika sho Kalunga e ku ithana, kashi na mbudhi we. Ihe ngele ou na ompito yokumanguluka, shi ninga. 22 Oshoka omupika ngoka i ithanwa kOmuwa, a ninge omukriste, okwa mangululwa kOmuwa. Osho wo omumangululwa ngoka i ithanwa kuKristus, oye omupika gwe. 23 Kalunga okwe mu kulile niikulila yi na ondilo. Inamu ninga aapika yaantu. 24 Aamwameme, koshipala shaKalunga kehe gumwe na kale pomuthika mpoka a li, uuna i ithanwa.
Omapulo kombinga yaamboka inaaya ya moondjokana naaselekadhi
25 Kombinga yaamboka inaaya ya moondjokana, inandi pewa oshipango kOmuwa, ihe omadhiladhilo gandje ongangoka nda silwa ohenda kOmuwa, oge shi kwiinekelwa.
26 Sho nda tala omathimbo ngaka omadhigu, otandi dhiladhila kutya, osho opala kehe omuntu, ngele ta kala pomuthika mpoka e li ngashingeyi. 27 Ngele ou li moondjokana, ino etha po omukiintu gwoye. Ngele owi ikalela, ino konga omukiintu. 28 Ihe ngele to hokana, ito yono; nosho wo omukadhona ngele ta hokanwa, ita yono. Ondi mu uvitile owala ohenda omoluudhigu womokukalamwenyo kwaamboka taa hokana.
29 Aamwameme, onda hala okutya: Ethimbo lyokukalamwenyo kwetu olyo efupi. Onkee ano mboka ya hokana, naa kale ya fa inaaya hokana. 30 Mboka taa lili, naa kale ya fa inaaya sa oluhodhi; mboka taa yolo, naa kale ya fa mboka inaaya nyanyukwa. Mboka taa ilandele sha, naa kale ya fa inaayi ilikolela sha. 31 Mboka taa lalakana niinima yomuuyuni mbuka, naa kale ya fa inaayi itula muyo. Oshoka uuyuni mbuka kau li kokule nokuhula po.
32 Ngame onda hala, mu kale mwaa na iimpwiyu. Omulumentu ngoka inaa hokana, oti ipyakidhile owala niilonga yOmuwa, oshoka ota kambadhala okwoopalela Omuwa. 33 Ihe omulumentu ngoka a hokana, oti ipyakidhile niinima yomuuyuni, oshoka okwa hala okwoopalela omukadhi, 34 onkee ano okwa mangwa koombinga adhihe mbali. Omukiintu inaa hokanwa nenge ngoka omukadhona okwi ipyakidhila niilonga yOmuwa, oshoka okwa hala oku mu pa olutu nombepo ye. Ihe omukiintu a hokanwa oti ipyakidhile niinima yomuuyuni mbuka, oshoka okwa hala okwoopalela omulumentu gwe.
35 Otandi popi ngeyi, oshoka onda hala oku mu kwatha, haku mu manga. Onde mu halela okulonga shoka oshiwanawa noshi li mondjila, mu wape okwiigandja moshilonga shOmuwa.
36 Kombinga yayaali ya adhika ya yalekathana e taa tokola, yi idhilike oondjokana, otandi ti: Omumati ngele ita vulu okwiidhidhimika, nena naa hokane. Ngele taa hokana, itaa yono. 37 Omumati ngoka u uvite kutya ota vulu okwiikalela inaa hokana, nopwaa na ethiminiko lyomuntu, ne shi ninge. Ngele ota vulu okwiipangela noku na etokolo, nena oto opaleke, ngele ita hokana. 38 Onkee ano omumati ngoka ta hokana omuyalekwa gwe, ota opaleke, naangoka itee shi ningi, sho a hala okwiikalela, ota ningi nawa unene.
39 Omukiintu a hokanwa ita vulu okumanguluka, manga omulume e na omwenyo. Ihe ngele a si, nena omukiintu a tya ngaaka okwa mangulukila okuhokanwa komulumentu gulwe, ihe oondjokana dha tya ngaaka odhi na okukala dhopakriste. 40 Ihe osho opala unene, ngele omukiintu a tya ngaaka ita yi we moondjokana. Ngaka ogo omadhiladhilo gandje ngoka tandi tala kutya onde ga pewa kOmbepo yaKalunga.
