Questions about Marriage
1 Now, to deal with the matters you wrote about.
A man does well not to marry. 2 But because there is so much immorality, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband. 3 A man should fulfill his duty as a husband, and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife, and each should satisfy the other's needs. 4 A wife is not the master of her own body, but her husband is; in the same way a husband is not the master of his own body, but his wife is. 5 Do not deny yourselves to each other, unless you first agree to do so for a while in order to spend your time in prayer; but then resume normal marital relations. In this way you will be kept from giving in to Satan's temptation because of your lack of self-control.
6 I tell you this not as an order, but simply as a permission. 7 Actually I would prefer that all of you were as I am; but each one has a special gift from God, one person this gift, another one that gift.
8 Now, to the unmarried and to the widows I say that it would be better for you to continue to live alone as I do. 9 But if you cannot restrain your desires, go ahead and marry—it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 For married people I have a command which is not my own but the Lord's: a wife must not leave her husband; 11 but if she does, she must remain single or else be reconciled to her husband; and a husband must not divorce his wife.
12 To the others I say (I, myself, not the Lord): if a Christian man has a wife who is an unbeliever and she agrees to go on living with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a Christian woman is married to a man who is an unbeliever and he agrees to go on living with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made acceptable to God by being united to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made acceptable to God by being united to her Christian husband. If this were not so, their children would be like pagan children; but as it is, they are acceptable to God. 15 However, if the one who is not a believer wishes to leave the Christian partner, let it be so. In such cases the Christian partner, whether husband or wife, is free to act. God has called you to live in peace. 16 How can you be sure, Christian wife, that you will not save your husband? Or how can you be sure, Christian husband, that you will not save your wife?
Live As God Called You
17 Each of you should go on living according to the Lord's gift to you, and as you were when God called you. This is the rule I teach in all the churches. 18 If a circumcised man has accepted God's call, he should not try to remove the marks of circumcision; if an uncircumcised man has accepted God's call, he should not get circumcised. 19 For whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing; what matters is to obey God's commandments. 20 Each of you should remain as you were when you accepted God's call. 21 Were you a slave when God called you? Well, never mind; but if you have a chance to become free, use it. 22 For a slave who has been called by the Lord is the Lord's free person; in the same way a free person who has been called by Christ is his slave. 23 God bought you for a price; so do not become slaves of people. 24 My friends, each of you should remain in fellowship with God in the same condition that you were when you were called.
Questions about the Unmarried and the Widows
25 Now, concerning what you wrote about unmarried people: I do not have a command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is worthy of trust.
26 Considering the present distress, I think it is better for a man to stay as he is. 27 Do you have a wife? Then don't try to get rid of her. Are you unmarried? Then don't look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you haven't committed a sin; and if an unmarried woman marries, she hasn't committed a sin. But I would rather spare you the everyday troubles that married people will have.
29 What I mean, my friends, is this: there is not much time left, and from now on married people should live as though they were not married; 30 those who weep, as though they were not sad; those who laugh, as though they were not happy; those who buy, as though they did not own what they bought; 31 those who deal in material goods, as though they were not fully occupied with them. For this world, as it is now, will not last much longer.
32 I would like you to be free from worry. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's work, because he is trying to please the Lord. 33 But a married man concerns himself with worldly matters, because he wants to please his wife; 34 and so he is pulled in two directions. An unmarried woman or a virgin concerns herself with the Lord's work, because she wants to be dedicated both in body and spirit; but a married woman concerns herself with worldly matters, because she wants to please her husband.
35 I am saying this because I want to help you. I am not trying to put restrictions on you. Instead, I want you to do what is right and proper, and to give yourselves completely to the Lord's service without any reservation.
36 In the case of an engaged couple who have decided not to marry: if the man feels that he is not acting properly toward the young woman and if his passions are too strong and he feels that they ought to marry, then they should get married, as he wants to. There is no sin in this. 37 But if a man, without being forced to do so, has firmly made up his mind not to marry, and if he has his will under complete control and has already decided in his own mind what to do—then he does well not to marry the young woman. 38 So the man who marries does well, but the one who doesn't marry does even better.
39 A married woman is not free as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, then she is free to be married to any man she wishes, but only if he is a Christian. 40 She will be happier, however, if she stays as she is. That is my opinion, and I think that I too have God's Spirit.
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.
