Omarongo otja korukupo
1 Nambano ami meya koviṋa, mbi mwe ndji tjangera.
Ii, okokuwa tjinene omurumendu tje hi nokurara punomukazendu. 2 Nungwari mena rotuvakiro otuingi nai omurumendu auhe u sokukupa omukazendu we omuini, nomukazendu auhe u sokukupwa i omurumendu we omuini. 3 Omurumendu u sokuriyandja komukazendu we, nomukazendu wina nge riyandje komurumendu we. 4 Omukazendu ke nouvara norutu rwe omuini, nungwari omurumendu ongu nouvara mbwi; nu momuhingo tjingewo omurumendu ke nouvara norutu rwe omuini, nungwari omukazendu ongu nouvara mbwi. 5 Amu panḓa auhe okuriyandja komukwao, ngunda amu hiya zuvasana okutjita nao okaruveze okasupi, kokutja okaruveze nga mu ke yandjere ongumbiro. Nungwari tjazumba a rire tji mwa yaruka pamwe rukwao, kokutja amu ha rorwa i Satan motjimbe tjokuhinomeritjaerero wonḓuma zeṋu.
6 Hi nokuhungira otjiṋa hi otja omarakiza, nungwari me tji hungire otja omaronga. 7 Ami hapo etje vanga kutja ovandu avehe ve kare otja ami omuini, nungwari auhe wa pewa otjiyandjewa tje tjapeke i Ndjambi, umwe otjiyandjewa hi, nomukwao otjiyandjewa tjarwe.
8 Nambano kovakombe na kovahepundu ami me tja okokuwa ku wo okukarerera nao otja ami tji mbi ri. 9 Nungwari owo tji ve hi nokusora okutjaera ozonḓuma zawo, ngave kupe; orondu okokuwa okukupa komeho yokunyosiwa i ozonḓuma zonyama.
10 Nu kovakupasane ami mbi nomarakiza omakukutu, nu kamarakiza wandje nungwari owa Muhona: Omukazendu ke nokusokuhaṋika nomurumendu we. 11 Nungwari omukazendu tja haṋika nomurumendu we, nga kare omukombe poo nga hangane nomurumendu we. Nomurumendu wina a haṋika nomukazendu we.
12 Nu kovandu varwe, ami me tja, ka Muhona, nungwari owami: Indu ndeeri omurumendu omukriste una omukazendu ngu he ri omukriste, nomukazendu ngwi a itavere okukaenda komurungu okukara puna ye, ingwi omurumendu ke nokusokuisa omukazendu we. 13 Nu tjinangara omukazendu omukriste una omurumendu ngu he ri omukriste, nomurumendu ngwi a itavere okukaenda komurungu okukara puna ye, ingwi omukazendu ke nokusokuhaṋika nomurumendu we. 14 Orondu omurumendu ngu he ri omukriste wa yakurwa i Ndjambi moruwano nomukazendu we omukriste, nomukazendu ngu he ri omukriste wa yakurwa i Ndjambi moruwano nomurumendu we omukriste. Andakuzu kape ri nao ovanatje veṋu atjave rira ovahakohoke, nungwari nambano owo, tjiri, ovayapuke. 15 Nu ingwi ngu he ri omukriste tji ma vanga okuhaṋika nomukwao omukriste, nga haṋike. Nu tji pe ri nao, ingwi ngu ri omukriste, omurumendu poo omukazendu, ke nokuvarwa otja omundu ngwa kupa poo ngwa kupwa. Ndjambi we mu isanena okukara nohange. 16 Nove, mukazendu omukriste, mo tjiwa vi kutja mo sora okuyama omurumendu woye? Nove, murumendu omukriste, mo tjiwa vi kutja mo sora okuyama omukazendu woye?
Hupa otja komuhingo Ndjambi mbwe ku isana
17 Auhe weṋu nga kare otja kotjiyandjewa tja pewa i Muhona, nu wina nga kare otja komuhingo mbwa ri, indu Ndjambi tje mu isana. Owo ombu ri omuhingo ami mbu me zikamisire ozombongo azehe. 18 Tji pena ngwa isanewa i Ndjambi e ri omusukarekwa, eye a ha horeke ovihako vyomasukarekero we. Nu tji pena ngwa isanewa i Ndjambi e hiya sukarekwa, eye a ha sukarekwa. 19 Kutja omundu wa sukarekwa poo keya sukarekwa, otjo katjinanḓengu; tji tji ri otjinanḓengu okongwi okuṱakamisa omatwako wa Ndjambi. 20 Auhe u sokukara otja tja ri indu Ndjambi tje mu isana. 21 Ove tji wa ri omukarere Ndjambi tje ku isana? Tjiperi nao, orikendere otjiṋa hi, nungwari tji mo sora okurira omukutuke, tjita nao. 22 Orondu ingwi ngwa isanewa i Muhona e ri omukarere, eye omukuturwa wa Muhona; momuhingo tjingewo ingwi ngwa isanewa i Kristus e ri omukutuke, eye omukarere we. 23 Eṋe mwa randwa i Ndjambi notjisuta; otji mu hi nokusokurira ovakarere vovandu. 24 Vakwetu, auhe nga karere Ndjambi momuano eye ma ri indu Ndjambi tje mu isana.
Ovakombe novahepundu
25 Nambano otja kovakombe mbu mwe ndji tjangera, ami hi perwe omaraerero i Muhona, nungwari me mu pe ouripura wandje omuini otja ngu mbi sokuvarwa omuṱakame motjari tja Muhona.
26 Ami me tjangovasi, mena rokutja oruveze oruzeu rwomeero wa Muhona ru ri popezu, okokuwa omundu okukara otja tje ri. 27 Tji wa kupa poo tji wa kupwa, opaha okuhaṋika nomukupasane woye. Nu tji u hiya kupa, oripahere omukazendu. 28 Nungwari tji wa kupu, kakokuvi; nomukazendu omukombe tja kupwa, eye ke nokutjita navi. Nungwari ovandu mba kupasana ve muna ouzeu mouye mbwi, nami otji me vanga okumuyama kouzeu mbwi.
29 Ihi tji me hee, vakwetu, otjo hi: Omayuva wouye mbwi ye ri pokuyanda. Nokuzamba imba mba kupasana ngave kare aayo kave kupasanene; 30 nu imba mbe noruhoze aayo kave noruhoze; nu imba mbe nenyando aayo kave nenyando, nu imba mba randa oviṋa aayo kave na vyo. 31 Nu imba mbe ungurisa oviṋa vyouye mbwi ngave rizare aayo kave notjiṋa na vyo. Orondu ouye mbwi otja tji matu u tjiwa u ri pokuyanda.
32 Ami me vanga kutja mu kare nokuhinomerikendero. Omurumendu omukombe u rikendera oviungura vya Muhona tjinga e kondja kutja a tjate ku Muhona. 33 Nungwari omurumendu ngwa kupa u rikendera oviṋa vyouye, tjinga e vanga kutja a tjate komukazendu we; 34 nomerikendero we otji ye nanwa kuvari. Nomukazendu omukombe nomusuko wina ve rikendera otjiungura tja Muhona, tjinga ave vanga okuyapurirwa Muhona morutu na mombepo; nungwari omukazendu ngwa kupwa u rikendera oviṋa vyouye, tjinga e vanga kutja a tjate komurumendu we.
35 Ihi me tji hungirire ombwiro yeṋu. Hi nokuvanga okumutjaera, nungwari me vanga kutja mu kare nongarero youwa mu riyandje oveni okumanuka motjiungura tja Muhona nokuhinokuivaiva.
36 Notja kovavarekasane mbe hiya tya okukupasana, pe ri nai: Omurumendu tji ma tjangovasi eye ma tataiza komuvarekwa we, indu ozonḓuma ze tji ze mu uru, neye tji ma tjangovasi ve sokukupasana, nga tjite otja puma vanga: Ngave kupasane. Kave nokutjita ouvi tji va tjiti nao. 37 Nungwari ingwi mouripura we omuini ngwe rimana kutja ke nakukupa nu ngu he ri kehi yoṋiṋikizire yozonḓuma ze, nungwari ngwa ura ombango ye omuini okumana, nu ngwe ritya omuini kutja ke nakukupa, eye ma tjiti otjiṋa otjiwa. 38 Ingwi ngu ma kupu, ma tjiti otjiṋa otjiwa, nungwari ingwi ngu hi nakukupa ma tjiti otjiṋa otjiwa tjinene komeho.
39 Omukazendu omukupwa wa kutwa komurumendu we, ingwi omurumendu we ngunda e nomuinyo; nungwari omurumendu we tja koka, eye wa kutuka kutja a kupwe i omurumendu ngamwa ngu ma vanga, posi yokutja omurumendu ngwi u sokurira omukambure. 40 Nungwari otja kouripura wandje omukazendu ngwi ma rire omuṋingandu tjinene komeho, indu tje ha kupirwe; me tjangovasi ami wina mbi nOmbepo ya Ndjambi.
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.
