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

¹Yahusu sasa mambo yale mliyoandika: naam, ni vizuri kama mtu haoi;

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

²lakini kwa sababu ya hatari ya uzinzi, basi, kila mwanamume na awe na mke wake mwenyewe, na kila mwanamke awe na mume wake mwenyewe.

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

³Mume atimize wajibu alio nao kwa mkewe, naye mke atimize wajibu alio nao kwa mumewe.

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.

⁴Mke hana mamlaka juu ya mwili wake, bali mumewe anayo; hali kadhalika naye mume, hana mamlaka juu ya mwili wake, bali mkewe anayo.

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.

⁵Msinyimane haki zenu, isipokuwa kama mnaafikiana kufanya hivyo kwa kitambo tu, ili mpate nafasi nzuri ya kusali. Kisha rudianeni tena mara, ili Shetani asije akawajaribu kwa sababu ya udhaifu wenu.

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

⁶Ninayowaambieni sasa ni mawaidha, si amri.

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.

⁷Ningependa watu wote wawe kama mimi nilivyo; lakini kila mmoja anacho kipaji chake kutoka kwa Mungu; mmoja kipaji hiki na mwingine kile.

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

⁸Basi, wale ambao hawajaoana na wale walio wajane nawaambia kwamba ni vema kuendelea kuwa kama mimi nilivyo.

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

⁹Hata hivyo, kama mtu hawezi kujizuia basi, na aoe; maana ni afadhali zaidi kuoa kuliko kuwaka tamaa.

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

¹⁰Kwa wale waliooa ninayo amri, tena si yangu, ila ni ya Bwana: mke asiachane na mumewe;

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

¹¹lakini kama akiachana naye, basi abaki bila kuolewa; ama la, apatanishwe na mume wake. Mume naye asimpe talaka mkewe.

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.

¹²Kwa wale wengine, (mimi binafsi, si Bwana) nasema hivi: Ikiwa mwanamume Mkristo anaye mke asiyeamini, na huyo mwanamke akakubali kuendelea kuishi naye, asimpe talaka.

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

¹³Na, kama mwanamke Mkristo anaye mume asiyeamini, na huyo mwanamume akakubali kuendelea kuishi naye, basi, asimpe talaka mumewe.

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.

¹⁴Kwa maana huyo mume asiyeamini hupokelewa kwa Mungu kwa kuungana na mkewe; na huyo mke asiyeamini hupokelewa kwa Mungu kwa kuungana na mumewe. Vinginevyo watoto wao wangekuwa si wa Mungu; kumbe sasa ni watoto wake Mungu.

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.

¹⁵Hata hivyo, ikiwa yule asiyeamini anataka kumwacha mwenzake aliye Mkristo, basi, na amwache tu. Hapo huyo Mkristo, mume au mke, atakuwa huru. Maana Mungu amewaiteni ninyi muishi kwa amani.

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

¹⁶Wewe mama Mkristo, unawezaje kuwa na hakika kwamba hutaweza kumwokoa mume wako? Au wewe mume Mkristo, unawezaje kuwa na hakika kwamba hutaweza kumwokoa mkeo?

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.

¹⁷Kwa vyovyote kila mmoja na aishi kufuatana na vipaji alivyogawiwa na Bwana, na kama alivyoitwa na Mungu. Hili ndilo agizo langu kwa makanisa yote.

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

¹⁸Kama mtu aliitwa akiwa ametahiriwa, basi asijisingizie kwamba hakutahiriwa; na kama alipoitwa hakuwa ametahiriwa, basi na asitahiriwe.

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

¹⁹Maana kutahiriwa au kutotahiriwa si kitu; kilicho muhimu ni kuzishika amri za Mungu.

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

²⁰Basi, kila mmoja na abaki kama alivyokuwa wakati alipoitwa.

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

²¹Je, wewe ulikuwa mtumwa wakati ulipoitwa? Sawa, usijali; lakini ukipata fursa ya kuwa huru, itumie.

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.

²²Maana yeye aliyeitwa na Bwana akiwa mtumwa huyo huwa mtu huru wa Bwana. Hali kadhalika naye aliyeitwa akiwa mtu huru, huwa mtumwa wa Kristo.

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

²³Nyote mmenunuliwa kwa bei; kwa hiyo msiwe tena watumwa wa watu.

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

²⁴Ndugu zangu, kila mmoja wenu basi, na abaki na Mungu kama alivyokuwa wakati alipoitwa.

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.

²⁵Sasa, kuhusu mabikira na waseja, sina amri kutoka kwa Bwana; lakini natoa maoni yangu mimi ambaye kwa huruma yake Bwana nastahili kuaminiwa.

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

²⁶Basi, kutokana na shida iliyopo sasa nadhani ingefaa mtu abaki kama alivyo.

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

²⁷Je, umeoa? Basi, usitake kuachana na mkeo. Wewe hukuoa? Basi, usitake kuoa.

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.

²⁸Lakini ikiwa utaoa hutakuwa umetenda dhambi; na msichana akiolewa hatakuwa ametenda dhambi. Hao watakaooana watapatwa na matatizo ya dunia hii, lakini mimi ningependa hayo yasiwapate ninyi.

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

²⁹Ndugu, nataka kusema hivi: muda uliobaki ni mfupi. Na tangu sasa wale waliooa na waishi kama vile hawakuoa;

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;

³⁰wenye kulia wawe kama hawalii, na wenye kufurahi wawe kama hawafurahi; wanaonunua wawe kama hawana kitu;

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

³¹nao wenye shughuli na dunia hii wawe kama vile hawana shughuli sana nayo. Maana ulimwengu huu, kama tuujuavyo, unapita.

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:

³²Ningependa ninyi msiwe na wasiwasi. Mtu asiye na mke hujishughulisha na kazi ya Bwana jinsi atakavyompendeza Bwana.

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

³³Mtu aliyeoa hujishughulisha na mambo ya dunia jinsi atakavyompendeza mkewe,

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.

³⁴naye amegawanyika. Mwanamke asiyeolewa au bikira hujishughulisha na mambo ya Bwana apate kujitolea mwili na roho kwa Bwana. Lakini mwanamke aliyeolewa hujishughulisha na mambo ya dunia hii jinsi atakavyompendeza mumewe.

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.

³⁵Nawaambieni haya kwa faida yenu, na si kwa kuwawekeeni kizuio. Nataka tu muwe na mpango unaofaa, mpate kumtumikia Bwana kwa moyo na nia moja.

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.

³⁶Kama mtu anaona kwamba hamtendei vyema mchumba wake asipomwoa, na kama tamaa zake zinamshinda, na afanye atakavyo; waoane tu; hatakuwa ametenda dhambi.

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.

³⁷Lakini kama huyo mwanamume akiamua kwa hiari moyoni mwake kutooa na kama anaweza kuzitawala tamaa zake na kuamua namna ya kufanya, basi, anafanya vizuri zaidi asipomwoa huyo mwenzake bikira.

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

³⁸Kwa maneno mengine: yule anayeamua kumwoa huyo mchumba wake anafanya vema; naye anayeamua kutomwoa anafanya vema zaidi.

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.

³⁹Mwanamke huwa amefungwa na mumewe kwa muda wote mumewe aishipo. Lakini mumewe akifa, mama huyo yuko huru, na akipenda anaweza kuolewa na mtu yeyote, mradi tu iwe Kikristo.

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

⁴⁰Lakini, nionavyo mimi, atakuwa na heri zaidi kama akibaki hivyo alivyo. Hayo ni maoni yangu, na nafikiri mimi pia ninaye Roho wa Mungu.