¹But concerning the things of which ye have written [to me]: [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman;

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

²but on account of fornications, let each have his own wife, and each [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 her due to the wife, and in like manner the wife to the husband.

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

⁴The wife has not authority over her own body, but the husband: in like manner also the husband has not authority over 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 not one another, unless, it may be, by consent for a time, that ye may devote yourselves to prayer, and again be together, that Satan tempt you not because of 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 this I say, as consenting [to], not as commanding [it].

⁶Ninayowaambieni sasa ni mawaidha, si amri.

⁷Now I wish all men to be even as myself: but every one has his own gift of God: one man thus, and another thus.

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

⁸But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, It is good for them that they remain even as I.

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

⁹But if they have not control over themselves, 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.

¹⁰But to the married I enjoin, not *I*, but the Lord, Let not wife be separated from husband;

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

¹¹(but if also she shall have been separated, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband;) and let not husband leave wife.

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

¹²But as to the rest, *I* say, not the Lord, If any brother have an unbelieving wife, and *she* consent to dwell with him, let him not leave her.

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 a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to dwell with her, let her not leave [her] husband.

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

¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother; since [otherwise] indeed your children are unclean, but now they are 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 unbeliever go away, let them go away; a brother or a sister is not bound in such [cases], but God has called us in 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, if thou shalt save thy husband? or what knowest thou, O husband, if 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?

¹⁷However, as the Lord has divided to each, as God has called each, so let him walk; and thus I ordain in all the assemblies.

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

¹⁸Has any one been called circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised: has any one been 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 keeping God's commandments.

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

²⁰Let each abide in that calling in which he has been called.

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

²¹Hast thou been called [being] a bondman, let it not concern thee; but and if thou canst become free, use [it] rather.

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

²²For the bondman that is called in [the] Lord is the Lord's freedman; in like manner [also] the freeman being called is Christ's bondman.

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 have been bought with a price; do not be the bondmen of men.

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

²⁴Let each, wherein he is called, brethren, therein abide with God.

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

²⁵But concerning virgins, I have no commandment of [the] Lord; but I give my opinion, as having received 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 think then that this is good, on account of the present necessity, that [it is] good for a man to remain so as he is.

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

²⁷Art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; art thou free from a wife? do not seek a wife.

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

²⁸But if thou shouldest also marry, thou hast not sinned; and if the virgin marry, they have not sinned: but such shall have tribulation 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 straitened. For the rest, that they who have wives, be as not having [any]:

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

³⁰and they that weep, as not weeping; and they that rejoice, as not rejoicing; and they that buy, as not possessing;

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

³¹and they that use the world, as not disposing of it as their own; for the fashion of this world passes.

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

³²But I wish you to be without care. The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;

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

³³but he that has married cares for the things of the world, how he shall please his wife.

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

³⁴There is a difference between the wife and the virgin. The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but she that has married cares for the things of the world, how she shall 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.

³⁵But I say this for your own profit; not that I may set a snare before you, but for what [is] seemly, and waiting on 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 one think that he behaves unseemly to his virginity, if he be beyond the flower of his age, and so it must be, let him do what he will, he does not sin: 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.

³⁷But he who stands firm in his heart, having no need, but has authority over his own will, and has judged this in his heart to keep his own virginity, he does 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 that he that marries himself does well; and he that does not marry does better.

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

³⁹A wife is bound for whatever time her husband lives; but if the husband be fallen asleep, she is free 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 remain, according to my judgment; but I think that *I* also have God's Spirit.

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