¹Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

¹Zvino maererano nezvinhu zvamakandinyorera, ndinoti: Zvakanakira munhu kuti arege kubata mukadzi.

²Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

²Asi nekuda kweupombwe, murume umwe neumwe ngaave nemukadzi wake, nemukadzi umwe neumwe ngaave nemurume wake.

³Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

³Murume ngaaripire mukadzi zvakamufanira; nemukadzi saizvozvowo kumurume.

⁴The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

⁴Mukadzi haana simba pamusoro pemuviri wake, asi murume; uye saizvozvowo murume haana simba pamusoro pemuviri wake, asi mukadzi.

⁵Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

⁵Musanyimana, kunze kwekutenderana kwechinguva, kuti muzvipe kukutsanya nekunyengetera, mugosanganazve, kuti Satani arege kukuidzai pakusagona kwenyu kuzvidzora.

⁶But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

⁶Asi ndinotaura izvi nemvumo, kwete nemurairo.

⁷For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

⁷Nekuti ndinoda kuti dai vanhu vose vava seni. Asi munhu umwe neumwe une chipo chake chinobva kuna Mwari, mumwe cherudzi urwu, mumwe cheurwo.

⁸I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

⁸Asi ndinoti kune vasina kuwana nechirikadzi: Zviri nani kwavari kana vachigara seni.

⁹But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

⁹Asi kana vasingagoni kuzvidzora, ngavawane; nekuti zviri nani kuti vawane pakutsva.

¹⁰And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

¹⁰Zvino kune vakawana ndinoraira, kwete ini asi Ishe, kuti mukadzi arege kubva kumurume wake,

¹¹But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

¹¹Asi kana iye achibva, ngaarambe asina kuwanikwa, kana ayananiswe nemurume wake, nemurume ngaarege kurasa mukadzi wake.

¹²But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

¹²Zvino kune vamwe ndini ndinotaura, kwete Ishe, Kana hama ine mukadzi usingatendi, kana iye achida kugara naye, ngaarege kumurasa.

¹³And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

¹³Nemukadzi une murume usingatendi, kana iye achida hake kugara naye, ngaarege kumusiya.

¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

¹⁴Nekuti murume usingatendi unoitwa mutsvene nemukadzi, nemukadzi usingatendi unoitwa mutsvene nemurume. Kana zvisina kudaro vana venyu vaiva netsvina, asi zvino vatsvene.

¹⁵But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

¹⁵Zvino kana usingatendi achizviparadzanisa, ngaaende. Hamarume kana hamakadzi haisungwi nezvakadaro; asi Mwari wakatidanira kurugare.

¹⁶For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

¹⁶Nekuti unozivei iwe mukadzi, zvimwe uchaponesa murume wako? Kana iwe murume unozivei, zvimwe uchaponesa mukadzi wako?

¹⁷But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

¹⁷Asi Mwari sezvaakagovera kune umwe neumwe, Ishe sezvaakadana umwe neumwe, ngaafambe saizvozvo. Ndizvo zvandinoraira pakereke dzose.

¹⁸Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

¹⁸Kune mumwe here wakadamwa adzingiswa? Ngaarege kuzova usakadzingiswa. Kune umwe here wakadamwa asakadzingiswa, ngaaarege kudzingiswa.

¹⁹Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

¹⁹Dzingiso hachizi chinhu, nekusadzingiswa hachizi chinhu, asi kuchengeta mirairo yaMwari.

²⁰Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

²⁰Umwe neumwe ngaagare pakudamwa kwaakadamwa nako.

²¹Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.

²¹Wakadamwa uri muranda here? Usazvidya moyo nazvo; asi kana ungasunungurwa, zviri nani uzvishandise.

²²For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.

²²Nekuti uyo wakadamwa muna Ishe, ari muranda, wava musunungurwa waIshe; saizvozvowo uyo wakadamwa akasununguka, muranda waKristu.

²³Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

²³Makatengwa nemutengo; musava varanda vevanhu.

²⁴Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

²⁴Umwe neumwe zvaakadanirwa, hama, ngaagare pane izvozvo naMwari.

²⁵Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

²⁵Zvino maererano nemhandara, handina murairo waIshe; asi ndinotema sewakawana tsitsi dzaIshe kuva wakatendeka.

²⁶I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.

²⁶Naizvozvo ndinofunga kuti izvi zvakanaka nekuda kwematambudziko aripo, kuti zvakanakira munhu kuti zvidai.

²⁷Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

²⁷Wakabatanidzwa kumukadzi here? Usatsvaka kusunungurwa. Wakasunungurwa kubva kumukadzi here? Usatsvaka mukadzi.

²⁸But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

²⁸Asi zvino kana wawana, hauna kutadza; nemhandara kana ichiwanikwa, haina kutadza. Asi vakadaro vachava nedambudziko panyama; asi ini ndinoda kukutavirirai.

²⁹But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

²⁹Asi zvino izvi ndinozvitaura hama, kuti nguva ipfupi; kuti kubva zvino vane vakadzi vave sevasina;

³⁰And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;

³⁰nevanochema, sevasingachemi; nevanofara sevasingafari; nevanotenga sevasina chinhu;

³¹And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

³¹nevanoshandisa nyika ino, sevasingaishandisi; nekuti chimiro chenyika ino chinopfuura.

³²But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

³²Zvino ndinoda kuti murege kuva nekufunganya. Usina kuwana unofunganya zvinhu zvaIshe, kuti ungafadza Ishe sei;

³³But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

³³asi wakawana, unofunganya zvinhu zvenyika, kuti ungafadza mukadzi sei.

³⁴There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

³⁴Pane musiyano pakati pemukadzi nemhandara. Usina kuwanikwa unofunganya zvinhu zvaIshe, kuti ave mutsvene zvose pamuviri nepamweya; asi uyo wakawanikwa unofunganya zvinhu zvenyika, kuti ungafadza murume sei.

³⁵And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

³⁵Izvi ndinotaurira rubatsiro rwenyu; kwete kuti ndikande musungo pamusoro penyu asi kuti mufambe zvakafanira nekunamatira Ishe musingakanganiswi.

³⁶But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.

³⁶Asi kana mumwe achifunga kuti haazvibati zvakafanira kumhandara yake, iyo yakura, uye zvakafanira kuti zviitike saizvozvo, ngaaite zvaanoda, haatadzi; ngavawaniswe.

³⁷Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.

³⁷Asi unomira akasimba pamoyo pake, asingamanikidzwi chinhu, asi ane simba pamusoro pechido chake, akatema mumoyo make kuti uchachengeta mhandara yake unoita zvakanaka.

³⁸So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

³⁸Naizvozvo uyo unowananisa unoita zvakanaka; asi usingawananisi unoita zvinopfuura.

³⁹The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

³⁹Mukadzi wakasungwa nemurairo kana murume wake achingova mupenyu chete; asi kana murume wake afa, wasununguka kuwanikwa newaanoda; asi muna Ishe chete.

⁴⁰But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

⁴⁰Asi unganyanya kufara kana achigara akadaro, pakufunga kwangu uye ndinofungawo kuti neni ndine Mweya waMwari.