Questions about Marriage
1 Now I will answer the questions you asked in your letter. You asked, “Is it best for people not to marry?” 2 Well, having your own husband or wife should keep you from doing something immoral. 3 Husbands and wives should be fair with each other about having sex. 4 A wife belongs to her husband instead of to herself, and a husband belongs to his wife instead of to himself. 5 So don't refuse sex to each other, unless you agree not to have sex for a little while, in order to spend time in prayer. Then Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 In my opinion that is what should be done, though I don't know of anything the Lord said about this matter. 7 I wish all of you were like me, but God has given different gifts to each of us.
8 My advice for the unmarried and for widows is that it is acceptable for them to remain single, just as I am. 9 But if you don't have enough self-control, then go ahead and get married. After all, it is better to marry than to burn with desire.
10 I instruct married couples to stay together, and this is exactly what the Lord himself taught. A wife who leaves her husband 11 should either stay single or go back to her husband. And a husband should not leave his wife.
12 I don't know of anything else the Lord said about marriage. All I can do is to give you my own advice. If your wife isn't a follower of the Lord, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce her. 13 If your husband isn't a follower, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce him. 14 Your husband or wife who isn't a follower is made holy by having you as a partner. This also makes your children holy and keeps them from being unclean in God's sight.
15 If your husband or wife isn't a follower of the Lord and decides to divorce you, then you should agree to it. You are no longer bound to that person. After all, God chose you and wants you to live at peace. 16 And besides, how do you know if you will be able to save your husband or wife who isn't a follower?
Obeying the Lord at All Times
17 In every church I tell the people to stay as they were when the Lord Jesus chose them and God called them to be his own. Now I say the same thing to you. 18 If you are already circumcised, don't try to change it. If you are not circumcised, don't get circumcised. 19 Being circumcised or uncircumcised isn't really what matters. The important thing is to obey God's commands. 20 So don't try to change what you were when God chose you. 21 Are you a slave? Don't let that bother you. But if you can win your freedom, you should. 22 When the Lord chooses slaves, they become his free people. And when he chooses free people, they become slaves of Christ. 23 God paid a great price for you. So don't become slaves of anyone else. 24 Stay what you were when God chose you.
Unmarried People
25 I don't know of anything the Lord said about people who have never been married. But I will tell you what I think. And you can trust me, because the Lord has treated me with kindness. 26 We are now going through hard times, and I think it is best for you to stay as you are. 27 If you are married, stay married. If you are not married, don't try to get married. 28 It isn't wrong to marry, even if you have never been married before. But those who marry will have a lot of trouble, and I want to protect you from this.
29 My friends, what I mean is that the Lord will soon come, and it won't matter if you are married or not. 30 It will be all the same if you are crying or laughing, or if you are buying or are completely broke. 31 It won't make any difference how much good you are getting from this world or how much you like it. This world as we know it is now passing away.
32 I want all of you to be free from worry. An unmarried man worries about how to please the Lord. 33 But a married man has more worries. He must worry about the things of this world, because he wants to please his wife. 34 So he is pulled in two directions. Unmarried women and women who have never been married worry only about pleasing the Lord, and they keep their bodies and minds pure. But a married woman worries about the things of this world, because she wants to please her husband. 35 What I am saying is for your own good—it isn't to limit your freedom. I want to help you to live right and to love the Lord above all else.
36 But suppose you are engaged to someone old enough to be married, and you want her so much that all you can think about is getting married. Then go ahead and marry. There is nothing wrong with that. 37 But it is better to have self-control and to make up your mind not to marry. 38 It is perfectly all right to marry, but it is better not to get married at all.
39 A wife should stay married to her husband until he dies. Then she is free to marry again, but only to a man who is a follower of the Lord. 40 However, I think I am obeying God's Spirit when I say she would be happier to stay single.
aza 7
ŋiɽaŋal ŋeḏi ṯaga
1 nyi kwunaŋna eḏi aalani ŋiɽaŋali ŋimernyji luca ki juwab-na kwalu, ŋofḏana eḏi kwor kwere ere dugwuɽi kwayu nana kwere mac. 2 lakin kaka ur gwu ṯumɔmma ki ŋijin, kwor kwere kweŋgeḏi kwayu kwuŋwun dak, na kwaw kwere kweŋgeḏi kwulen kwuŋwun dak. 3 kwor kweŋginḏeḏa kwayu kwuŋwun kwɔmne kweḏi ŋaw, na kwaw kweŋginḏeḏa kworu kwuŋwun kwɔmne kweḏi ŋor. 4 kaka iti ur gwu kwaw kweleny kwedi aŋna wuŋwun dak mac, kwor kwiri; na kwor tɔk eṯuŋw ere orɔ kweleny kweḏi aŋna wuŋwun dak mac, lakin kwaw kwiri. 5 eṯere dirnaḏizina wuɽe-wuɽeny mac, illi ma emni eḏi zi erri ŋu ma gwu lomur amɽiṯaḏa ŋaŋwuzi, mindaŋ ta eḏi ŋuma eḏari ki yiriny ŋamaŋ; na kwaḏan kwɔkwɔ a ma oɽmaṯi duŋw kwokwony, a ṯa zeyṯaan ere eḏi ŋuma eḏi mummi ŋaŋwuzi mac, ŋaŋa liti leṯimiḏa rugwori ralu mac. 6 nyi kwaru ŋwu, ŋizaw eḏi zi erri ŋu, lakin nenyere ellici ŋaŋwuzi amra mac. 7 nyi kweŋgamina eŋgi lizi tatap orɔ kaka nyuŋwu, lakin lizi leḏi ŋiɽaŋali ter ter ŋir haḏiya weṯi zi Allah inḏeḏa were were.
8 nyi kwece loru lir yiŋaɽu, law li lir yiŋaɽu tɔk na leḏela, ŋofḏana deŋgen-na eḏi nanni lere lere domony kaka nyuŋwu. 9 lakin mer ere eḏi ŋuma mac eḏi miḏa rugwori ta, ŋizaw deŋgen er agiḏi; ŋofḏana eḏagiḏi mindaŋ er ere dunnini zurum gi kweḏi yaŋna mac.
10 nyi kwiti kwir mac kwinḏeḏa zi kla lir limagiḏi amra wu, na Kweleny orɔ. na ŋiɽaŋal ŋuŋun orɔ ŋu, eḏi kwaw kwere ere ru nani gwu kwulen mac 11 (lakin muŋw orlaci ŋwudɔŋw, lazim eḏi nanni domony kwutuput, ya eḏuŋw aɽiḏa nani gwu kwor kwuŋwun,). na kwor ta, lazim eḏuŋw ere dirnaḏa kwayu lu kwuŋwun mac.
12 nyi kwecaŋazi liḏaḏu ŋwu, nyi kwiri, Kweleny kwiti kwiri mac ŋundu, ma ŋiaŋga ŋere eḏi kwayu kwiti kweḏi ṯəmna mac kwemni eḏi gi nanni, ŋiti ŋofḏana mac duŋgwun eḏi dirnaḏa lu; 13 na ma kwaw eḏi kworu kwiti kweḏi ṯəmna mac kwemni eḏi gi nanni, ŋiti ŋofḏana duŋgwun tɔk mac eḏi dirnaḏa lu; 14 kaka ma gwu kwor kwiira ṯəmna ami nanuŋw kwaw gi kwirlinelu ter, na kwaw kwiira ṯəmna ami nanuŋw kwor gi kwirlinelu ter. eŋgir ere orɔ ŋwu mac ta, eŋgi nyor nyalu ere zuɽini mac, lakin ner orɔ kirem nyirlinelu ter. 15 lakin ma kwor kwere, ya kwaw kwere kwiira ṯəmna, naŋna eḏi dirnaḏa kwulen lu, efrinjer ŋwele. na kwor kwir kwruztyan ya kwaw tɔk, ner ere kəkini kaka luway mac ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋu, kaka ornuṯinyji gwu Allah ki ŋiɽena-na. 16 kwaw kwalu, a kwilŋiiḏi aŋgwuru eḏaruŋw, nyi kweḏi ŋuma eḏi kileḏi kworu kwinyi? kwor kwalu, a kwilŋiiḏi aŋgwuru eḏaruŋw, nyi kweḏi ŋuma eḏi kileḏi kwayu kwinyi?
17 eḏi ṯa kwere nyiḏak ele ki ṯay-na ṯinḏuŋw ṯi ornuṯuŋw gwu Allah, kaka ur gwu ṯay ṯuŋwun ŋiɽaŋal ŋeḏi Kweleny. wunderṯa wu wiri amr winyi ki yaniiza-na tatap. 18 kwizi kwumɔ fa ta nani kwere kwuɽuna luḏrunya kuruu gi ki lomur limɔ li Allah ornuṯi a? eṯuŋw ere ṯeci eḏi dimi ŋwuli kiṯay mac ŋweḏi ṯuɽuna. muŋw nani kwere kwiira ṯuɽuna kḏa ki lomur limɔ li Allah ornuṯi, eḏuŋw ere naŋni ṯuɽuna kuruu gi mac. 19 kaka iti ur gwu kuruu keḏi ṯuɽuna ŋiɽaŋal ŋere mac, ya eḏere uɽuni tɔk mac; ŋiɽaŋal ŋeni ŋupak ŋir eḏinyici amra nana weḏi Allah. 20 kwere nyiḏak eḏuŋw miḏa ṯay kḏa ṯinḏuŋw ṯi ornutuŋw gwu Allah. 21 a kwiri kwuway kinaŋw ma ŋa Allah ornuṯi a? eṯere ketize ŋiɽaŋali ŋu yey mac. ma keni inḏa ṯay eḏi ru ŋuwaya, ŋofḏana daŋgal-na eḏi nanni kaka kerrenyŋw. 22 kaka eṯi gwu ŋgwa kwir kwuway ki lomur lornuṯuŋw li Kweleny, orɔ kwete kwumɔ Kweleny kedi ki ŋuway-na. na kwokwony, kwere nyiḏak kwir hurr ki lomur lornuṯuŋw li Kweleny, eṯuŋw orɔ kwuway kweḏi Kwruztu. 23 kwunderṯa kwumɔ ŋazi liṯa yili yi; eṯi lijina rɔgwɽɔ ralu mac eḏorɔ luway leḏi lizigwunaŋ. 24 ṯaŋwu, liengeri linyi, eḏi kwere nyiḏak miḏa ṯay ṯinḏuŋw ṯi ornuṯuŋw gwu Allah.
25 na ŋeḏi yiŋaɽu ta, nenyere eḏi amra weḏi Kweleny mac, lakin nyi kwiri kwete kwirlalu ŋimɽi ŋi ŋeḏi Kweleny, nenyaru ŋwu: 26 kaka inḏi gwu ṯurfa ta, ŋofḏana eḏi kwere nyiḏak nanni domony. 27 a kwukəkine kwaw gi a? etere naŋni eḏi faḏa lu mac. a kwunani domony, kwiira kwayu a? eti naŋni kwayu eḏagwu mac. 28 lakin, ma agiḏi ta, ŋiti ŋimɔ zi erri ŋiki mac; na tira tere timɔ kwor agwu, nuŋw zi ere erri ŋiki tɔk mac. lakin na kla lemnizi eḏagiḏi likaṯazi ṯurfa ritezir ṯeḏi ṯurmun kḏu ta, enyi naŋni eḏi zi ṯinyinici ŋaŋwuzi ŋu. 29 ŋeni ŋinyi, lieŋgeri, nyamin nyinḏi eḏernine; ŋwu ṯa, ma kwere eḏi kwayu, eḏuŋw orɔ kaka ŋgwa kwiti kweḏi kwayu mac, 30 na kla leḏi ŋwunda leŋgorɔ kaka kla liti leḏi zi mac. na kla leṯinyeŋlena leŋgorɔ kaka kla liti lerinyeŋlena mac; na kla leri lece rɔgwɽɔ reŋen kwɔmne, linḏi kezni eḏorɔ kaka kla liti leḏi kwɔmne kwere mac, 31 na kla leri zi ruzi ŋeḏi ṯurmun ŋupa, leŋgorɔ kaka kla leri zi ruzi ŋeḏi ṯurmun ŋɔkwɽeny. kaka inḏi gwu ṯurmun kḏu ṯilŋiiḏinyji eḏernine.
32 nyi kwunaŋnaŋazi eḏere pini rugwor-na mac ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi ṯurmun. kwor kwiti kwumagiḏi mac kweṯinaŋni eḏaŋraci ŋiɽaŋali ŋeḏi Kweleny eḏi ŋi əmi Kwelenyi-na; 33 lakin na kwor kwumagiḏi eṯuŋw naŋni eḏaŋraci ŋiɽaŋali ŋeḏi ṯurmun, eḏi ŋi əmi kwayu-na kwuŋwun, 34 ŋwu ṯa, na ŋiɽaŋal ŋuŋun kanni-na ŋiɽen. na kiŋaɽu tɔk, kir kwaw ya tira, eṯuŋw naŋni eḏaŋraci ŋiɽaŋali ŋeḏi Kweleny, eḏi ŋi eni kirlinelu ter kaŋna-na, na ki ṯigɽim-na ṯuŋwun tɔk; lakin na kwaw kwumer agwu, eṯuŋw naŋni eḏaŋraci ŋiɽaŋali ŋeḏi ṯurmun, eḏi ŋi əmi kworu-na kwuŋwun. 35 ŋandizanyji ŋu eḏi meci ŋaŋwuzi, ŋiti ŋiri ŋeḏi ŋi kəki ŋaŋwuzi mac; lakin eḏi ma pa erri kwɔmne tatap ŋamaŋ mindaŋ a ma ami iɽi Kwelenyi-na ṯugwor ṯi ṯutuput.
36 ma kwor kwere aruŋw, nyi kwende kwumɔ nii tira-na tinyi menyi ɽindaŋnalu eḏagwu timɔ ṯimayini ŋayu, muŋw orɔ zurum eḏuŋw agwu; ŋiɽaŋal ŋu ŋiti ŋiri ŋiki mac. 37 lakin ma kwor kwere biɽelu pet mindaŋ mer ere ruḏaḏa dururi mac, kweṯeḏi ŋuma eḏi miḏa ṯugwori ṯuŋwun na kwiti kwumɔ diɽezi ṯugwor la eḏagwu tira tuŋwuŋ mac, ŋwuzerri ŋofḏana. 38 ŋwu ṯa, na ŋgwa kwere kwumagwu tira tuŋwun kwumɔ zi erri ŋizaw; na ŋgwa kwere kwiti kwumagiḏi mac, kwumɔ zi erri ŋizaw beṯen eḏi duŋgwun la.
39 kwaw kwere kweṯikəkini kwulen gi ki ŋwomur tatap ŋwunanuŋw ŋi kwumiiḏu; mindaŋ ma kwor ay ta, eṯi kwaw orɔ hurr; eḏuŋw emnici kworu kwir ter eḏagwu, muŋw orɔ kwete eḏi Kweleny-na. 40 lakin, ki yey-na yinyi, ṯinyiŋlana ṯeḏi kwaw ṯiṯemḏelu muŋw nanni domony; nenyi aruŋw, ŋiɽaŋal ŋu ŋir ŋeḏi Ṯigɽim ṯeḏi Allah tɔk.