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

¹And concerning the things of which ye wrote to me: good [it is] for a man not to touch a woman,

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

²and because of the whoredom let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her proper husband;

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

³to the wife let the husband the due benevolence render, and in like manner also the wife to the husband;

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

⁴the wife over her own body hath not authority, but the husband; and, in like manner also, the husband over his own body hath not authority, but the wife.

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.

⁵Defraud not one another, except by consent for a time, that ye may be free for fasting and prayer, and again may come together, that the Adversary may not tempt you because of your incontinence;

⁶Ninayowaambieni sasa ni mawaidha, si amri.

⁶and this I say by way of concurrence — not of command,

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

⁷for I wish all men to be even as I myself [am]; but each his own gift hath of God, one indeed thus, and one thus.

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

⁸And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they may remain even as I [am];

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

⁹and if they have not continence — let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn;

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

¹⁰and to the married I announce — not I, but the Lord — let not a wife separate from a husband:

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

¹¹but and if she may separate, let her remain unmarried, or to the husband let her be reconciled, and let not a husband send away a wife.

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

¹²And to the rest I speak — not the Lord — if any brother hath a wife unbelieving, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not send her away;

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

¹³and a woman who hath a husband unbelieving, and he is pleased to dwell with her, let her not send him away;

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.

¹⁴for the unbelieving husband hath been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife hath been sanctified in the husband; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

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.

¹⁵And, if the unbelieving doth separate himself — let him separate himself: the brother or the sister is not under servitude in such [cases], and in peace hath God called us;

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

¹⁶for what, hast thou known, O wife, whether the husband thou shalt save? or what, hast thou known, O husband, whether the wife thou shalt save?

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

¹⁷if not, as God did distribute to each, as the Lord hath called each — so let him walk; and thus in all the assemblies do I direct:

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

¹⁸being circumcised — was any one called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision was any one called? let him not be circumcised;

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

¹⁹the circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing — but a keeping of the commands of God.

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

²⁰Each in the calling in which he was called — in this let him remain;

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

²¹a servant — wast thou called? be not anxious; but if also thou art able to become free — use [it] rather;

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

²²for he who [is] in the Lord — having been called a servant — is the Lord`s freedman: in like manner also he the freeman, having been called, is servant of Christ:

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

²³with a price ye were bought, become not servants of men;

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

²⁴each, in that in which he was called, brethren, in this let him remain with God.

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

²⁵And concerning the virgins, a command of the Lord I have not; and I give judgment as having obtained kindness from the Lord to be faithful:

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

²⁶I suppose, therefore, this to be good because of the present necessity, that [it is] good for a man that the matter be thus: —

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

²⁷Hast thou been bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; hast thou been loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

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.

²⁸But and if thou mayest marry, thou didst not sin; and if the virgin may marry, she did not sin; and such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I spare you.

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

²⁹And this I say, brethren, the time henceforth is having been shortened — that both those having wives may be as not having;

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

³⁰and those weeping, as not weeping; and those rejoicing, as not rejoicing; and those buying, as not possessing;

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

³¹and those using this world, as not using [it] up; for passing away is the fashion of this world.

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

³²And I wish you to be without anxiety; the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;

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

³³and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how he shall please the wife.

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.

³⁴The wife and the virgin have been distinguished: the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how she shall please the husband.

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

³⁵And this for your own profit I say: not that I may cast a noose upon you, but for the seemliness and devotedness to the Lord, undistractedly,

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

³⁶and if any one doth think [it] to be unseemly to his virgin, if she may be beyond the bloom of age, and it ought so to be, what he willeth let him do; he doth not sin — let him marry.

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.

³⁷And he who hath stood stedfast in the heart — not having necessity — and hath authority over his own will, and this he hath determined in his heart — to keep his own virgin — doth well;

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

³⁸so that both he who is giving in marriage doth well, and he who is not giving in marriage doth better.

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.

³⁹A wife hath been bound by law as long time as her husband may live, and if her husband may sleep, she is free to be married to whom she will — only in the Lord;

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

⁴⁰and she is happier if she may so remain — according to my judgment; and I think I also have the Spirit of God.