¹Now concerning the things about which you wrote 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, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let 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 to his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

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

⁴The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have 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.

⁵Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

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 by way of concession, not of commandment.

⁶Ninayowaambieni sasa ni mawaidha, si amri.

⁷Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.

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 widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am.

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

⁹But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s 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 command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband

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

¹¹(but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave 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 I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live 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.

¹³The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live 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 husband. Otherwise your children would be 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.

¹⁵Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage 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 how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your 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?

¹⁷Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command 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.

¹⁸Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone 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 the keeping of the commandments of God.

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

²⁰Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.

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

²¹Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.

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

²²For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s bondservant.

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

²³You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.

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

²⁴Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.

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

²⁵Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.

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

²⁶I think that it is good therefore, because of the distress that is on us, that it is good for a man to be as he is.

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

²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife.

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

²⁸But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to 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 I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may 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 those who weep, as though they didn’t weep; and those who rejoice, as though they didn’t rejoice; and those who buy, as though they didn’t possess;

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

³¹and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.

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

³²But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of 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 who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

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

³⁴There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about 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.

³⁵This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to 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 thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He doesn’t 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 steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own heart, to keep his own virgin, 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 then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn’t give her in marriage does better.

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

³⁹A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, 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 stays as she is, in my judgment, and 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.