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.
Taeji ta Lagye rota
1 Oko ta tase nyegyibe ono ro ta: Orivoya kado manoago ri ko lagye ogyene. 2 Oko tana ta ronyi ro te orivoya amba ami lako ono, beṛo manoago alo ri a'done toko modo ndaro robe, ago beṛo toko alo ri a'done ago andivo anyaro robe. 3 Beṛo manoago ri kama ndaro a'doro agoro oyene, ago beṛo toko ri kama anyaro a'doro toko ro oyene, ago 'dialo kozo se beṛo ozone azi ri 'do. 4 Toko ko orivoya ni 'desi lomvo modo anyaro ro, oko ago anyaro ayani; kpa inye ago ko 'desi lomvo modo ndaro ro, oko toko anyaro ayani. 5 Nyalaga andivo amiro ko azi ri, e'be gialo miletadri käti oyene inye tuna fere tana nyozo tu robe mätu oyeza; ago 'dooko migo nyeto ami dro'be. Ugu oyena si nonye nyagagana ami ndi ni ugu ruozovoya taojoro Satani ro ri ta andivo amiro rita akona rota.
6 Ma ta ono iti ämiri ko ota ro, oko gialo tavo ozoro. 7 Endaro male ṛo aba a'done ami cini ri oso ma ronye; oko 'di alo alo ŋgapäṛi iro be ni Lu resi, 'dialo ŋgapäṛi ono be azana ŋgapäṛi ana be.
8 Oko ma ata ruogyeako'bai ndi ävuzii be ri anjioko aba ni kado ämiri orine iṛe oso ma ronye. 9 Oko ondro mini kote ami ritane migye ami ri, tana orivoya kado para ami ogyene ni tausune tana ro.
10 Ma ta be lidri se gyeyi iyi te ri se ko ni ta ma modo ro oko ni Opi ro; beṛo ko toko ri ago anyaro e'bene; 11 oko ondro koyete inye, beṛo anyari orine iṛe kode kogo kodro'be iyi ago anyaro be; ago beṛo ko ago ri toko ndaro onjine.
12 Ma ata azaka ri (ma andivo owo, ko Opi owo); makye: Ondro mano aza Kristo'ba ro toko be se orivoya taomaako'ba yi ago anya le ndi ugu orine nda be, beṛo ko ndäri toko ndaro onjine. 13 Ago ondro Kristo'ba toko ro kuru mano se taomaako'ba ro te ago nda lendi ugu orine anya be, beṛo ko anyari nda e'bene. 14 Tana ago taomaako a'ba nda te alokado Lu ri taoma toko ndaro ro si, ago toko taomaako a'ba anya te alokado Lu ri taoma ago anyaro rosi. Ondro ono ka'do kote inye ŋgwai ànyaro a'dona oso ŋgwai taomaako'bai ro ronye; oko oso ka'dobe ronye, ànya orivoya alokado Lu ri. 15 Caoko, ondro nda se i'do taoma'ba yi kole ndi ori'baazi se Kristo'ba yi e'bene, mi'ba nda koye ndi inye. Ta anya oso 'do ronye, oriazi se Kristo'ba ro kode manoago yi kode toko yi, orivoya dritai ro tase oyero oyene. Lu zi ami te orine liatokpe ro. 16 Toko Kristo'ba ro inye'do endaro minina ko ago miro opane ya? Kode ago Kristo'ba ro, inye'do endaro minina ko toko miro opane ya?
Mìri oso Lu Kuzi Ami be Ronye
17 Beṛo 'dialo ri ugu orine ŋgapäṛi Opi ro ndäri voro, ago oso nda ka'dobe tuse Lu kuzi nda be si ronye. Ono ni ota se mabe embana känisa cini yasi owo. 18 Ondro mano se alote ŋbiṛiro kole läzi Lu ro tadrina te, beṛo ko ndäri mbere oloŋbiṛiro ro onane. Ondro mano se oloako ŋbiṛiro kole läzi Lu ro tadrina te, beṛo ko nda olone ŋbiṛiro. 19 Tana olo ŋbiṛiro kode oloako ko ta amba yi, oko tase ta amba yi ota Lu ro orone. 20 Beṛo 'dicini ri orine oso nda ka'dobe tuse nda kole läzi Lu ro tadrina be sina ana si ronye. 21 Tuse Lu kuzi mi be sina si mi iyeäṛi yi ya? Ka'do inye, miru tana ko, oko ondro nya'do te kandrakado be a'done dritai ro, miye inye. 22 Tana iyeäṛi se äzite Opi si orivoya mano dritai ro Opi ro. Kpa oso inye mano se äzite dritai ro Kristo si orivoya iyeäṛi ndaro. 23 Lu gye ama te lagyeamba si, ka'do inye, nyà'do ko iyeäṛi lidri ro. 24 Ädrupii maro, beṛo 'dialo alo ri orine rumora ya Lu be a'do se äzi nda be kigye ya.
Taeji ta Ruogyeako'bai rota ndi Ävuzii be
25 Oko tase nyegyibe märi ta ruogyeako'bai rota, ma ota ako ni Opi resi tana ro, oko ma tavousu maro ozona oso 'dise yauni Opi rosi sindi taoyine tana ya ronye. 26 Rriti se yauono ugu tazevona usu si, musu maro be ni kado manoago ri orine oso nda ka'do be ronye. 27 Inye'do mi toko be ya? Ka'do inye nyojo ko anya onjine. Inye'do mi toko ako ya? Ka'do inye miṛi toko ko. 28 Oko ondro nya toko ogye, miye kote takozi yi, ago ondro toko ogyeako ka ago uru, anya ye kote takozi yi. Oko male ami opane ni rriti se lidri se kogye lagye be kabe usuna yasi.
29 Tase musube ni no, ädrupii maro, tu e'bete fere, etoni yauono oyigwo mileya ro beṛo 'dise toko be ri orine oso ànya toko ako ronye; 30 ànya se kayibe liyi, oso ànya a'do ko tusuro ronye; ànya se kayibe ugu, oso ànya a'do ko yai'dwesi ronye; ànya se kayibe ŋga ogye, oso ànya a'do ŋga ako ronye; 31 ànya se kabe ŋga 'bädri ono ro tana otina, a'do oso ànya ŋga aza ako amba ronye. Tana 'bädri ono, oso kabe a'do yauono ronye, orina ko madaro.
32 Male ämiri a'done dritai ro milo'be ako. Mano se gye lagye ko orivoya ondoalo taoti be losi Opi ro ta, tana nda ka ruutri ta ndaro ri Opi usine. 33 Oko mano se kogye lagye be ka ta ŋga 'bädri ro otina ayani, tana nda le ta ndaro ri toko usine; 34 ago tausu ndaro elewe te ritu. Toko ogyeako kode ŋgutikodroŋwa andivo anyaro ti ta losi Opi ro ro, tana anya le yi ozone Opi ri lomvo ndi riti tori be; oko toko se agyete andivo anyaro ti ta ŋga 'bädri ro ro, tana anya le ta anyaro ri ago usine.
35 Ma ugu ta ono atana tana male ami opane. Ma ko ojo ami lagane. Oko male ämiri tase ŋgye kado oyene, ago andivo amiro ozone cu ruindu Opi ri ya teinye ruetaako.
36 Oko ta rulu'bu 'di ritu se ratate ko ruogyene rota; ondro manona kusu tate ekye ya ko taoye ŋgyero ŋguti iro ri ondro ka'do anya konde omba te ago nda kusu tate beṛo lagye ogyene, anjioko beṛo ànyari ruogyene; oso nda kolebe ronye. Takozi i'do ta ono ya. 37 Oko ondro mano aza se kole ko oyene inye, ago ko'ba ta ndaro te tavousu ya ndaro rosi ko lagye ogyene, ago ondro ole ndaro si nda kirita yi te ago koratate tavousu modo ndaro rosi tase oyene ta, 'dooko nda yete kado ko ŋguti 'do ogyene. 38 Ago mano se kabe lagye ogye yete kado, oko nda se gye lagye ko yete kadopara.
39 Toko se agyete ko orivoya dritai ro, ondro ka'do ago ànyaro ka'do drigi lidriidriro owo; oko ondro ago anyaro kodrate; 'dooko anya te orivoya dritai ro yi ogyene mano se anya kolebe ri, oko gialo ondro nda orivoya Kristo'ba yi owo. 40 Caoko, anya a'dona yai'dwesi ndra, ondro anya kori gwo yi ogyeako owo. 'Do orivoya tavousu maro, ago musube anjioko ma kpa orivoya Tori Lu robe.