Questions about Marriage
1 Now, to deal with the matters you wrote about.
A man does well not to marry. 2 But because there is so much immorality, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband. 3 A man should fulfill his duty as a husband, and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife, and each should satisfy the other's needs. 4 A wife is not the master of her own body, but her husband is; in the same way a husband is not the master of his own body, but his wife is. 5 Do not deny yourselves to each other, unless you first agree to do so for a while in order to spend your time in prayer; but then resume normal marital relations. In this way you will be kept from giving in to Satan's temptation because of your lack of self-control.
6 I tell you this not as an order, but simply as a permission. 7 Actually I would prefer that all of you were as I am; but each one has a special gift from God, one person this gift, another one that gift.
8 Now, to the unmarried and to the widows I say that it would be better for you to continue to live alone as I do. 9 But if you cannot restrain your desires, go ahead and marry—it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 For married people I have a command which is not my own but the Lord's: a wife must not leave her husband; 11 but if she does, she must remain single or else be reconciled to her husband; and a husband must not divorce his wife.
12 To the others I say (I, myself, not the Lord): if a Christian man has a wife who is an unbeliever and she agrees to go on living with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a Christian woman is married to a man who is an unbeliever and he agrees to go on living with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made acceptable to God by being united to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made acceptable to God by being united to her Christian husband. If this were not so, their children would be like pagan children; but as it is, they are acceptable to God. 15 However, if the one who is not a believer wishes to leave the Christian partner, let it be so. In such cases the Christian partner, whether husband or wife, is free to act. God has called you to live in peace. 16 How can you be sure, Christian wife, that you will not save your husband? Or how can you be sure, Christian husband, that you will not save your wife?
Live As God Called You
17 Each of you should go on living according to the Lord's gift to you, and as you were when God called you. This is the rule I teach in all the churches. 18 If a circumcised man has accepted God's call, he should not try to remove the marks of circumcision; if an uncircumcised man has accepted God's call, he should not get circumcised. 19 For whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing; what matters is to obey God's commandments. 20 Each of you should remain as you were when you accepted God's call. 21 Were you a slave when God called you? Well, never mind; but if you have a chance to become free, use it. 22 For a slave who has been called by the Lord is the Lord's free person; in the same way a free person who has been called by Christ is his slave. 23 God bought you for a price; so do not become slaves of people. 24 My friends, each of you should remain in fellowship with God in the same condition that you were when you were called.
Questions about the Unmarried and the Widows
25 Now, concerning what you wrote about unmarried people: I do not have a command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is worthy of trust.
26 Considering the present distress, I think it is better for a man to stay as he is. 27 Do you have a wife? Then don't try to get rid of her. Are you unmarried? Then don't look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you haven't committed a sin; and if an unmarried woman marries, she hasn't committed a sin. But I would rather spare you the everyday troubles that married people will have.
29 What I mean, my friends, is this: there is not much time left, and from now on married people should live as though they were not married; 30 those who weep, as though they were not sad; those who laugh, as though they were not happy; those who buy, as though they did not own what they bought; 31 those who deal in material goods, as though they were not fully occupied with them. For this world, as it is now, will not last much longer.
32 I would like you to be free from worry. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's work, because he is trying to please the Lord. 33 But a married man concerns himself with worldly matters, because he wants to please his wife; 34 and so he is pulled in two directions. An unmarried woman or a virgin concerns herself with the Lord's work, because she wants to be dedicated both in body and spirit; but a married woman concerns herself with worldly matters, because she wants to please her husband.
35 I am saying this because I want to help you. I am not trying to put restrictions on you. Instead, I want you to do what is right and proper, and to give yourselves completely to the Lord's service without any reservation.
36 In the case of an engaged couple who have decided not to marry: if the man feels that he is not acting properly toward the young woman and if his passions are too strong and he feels that they ought to marry, then they should get married, as he wants to. There is no sin in this. 37 But if a man, without being forced to do so, has firmly made up his mind not to marry, and if he has his will under complete control and has already decided in his own mind what to do—then he does well not to marry the young woman. 38 So the man who marries does well, but the one who doesn't marry does even better.
39 A married woman is not free as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, then she is free to be married to any man she wishes, but only if he is a Christian. 40 She will be happier, however, if she stays as she is. That is my opinion, and I think that I too have God's Spirit.
Ṯɔṯalɔ ṯǝthi ṯaaga.
1 Nǝ ŋiɽaŋal ŋa ŋuṯicǝr-nyii ŋǝlɔ ki-juwaab-na kwaalɔ. Ŋɔvthanna ethi kwɔr ere aagithi mac. 2 Laakin sǝbǝb-ŋi kwǝthi ṯɔmɔmma ṯǝthi ŋiijin tǝ, nǝr ɔvthanni ethi kwɔr ǝthi kwayɔ kwuuŋwun, nǝ a kwaaw ǝthi kwɔɔrɔ kwuuŋwun tok. 3 Ethi kwɔr ǝrrici kwayɔ kwomne kwǝthi ŋaaw ŋuuŋun, na ǝsi kwaaw ǝrrici kwɔɔrɔ ŋǝthi ŋɔr ŋuuŋun tok. 4 Kaka niti nǝthi-gwɔ kwaaw sɔlṯa kaŋna-la wuuŋwun mac, laakin nǝ kwɔlen oro; nǝrṯoroŋw tok, ǝṯi kwɔr ere ǝthi sɔlṯa kaŋna-la wuuŋwun mac, laakin nǝ kwaaw kwuuŋwun oro. 5 Ǝṯeere dirnathisina mac, illi mǝmmini ethi rilli kwokwo kinnǝni, mindaŋ mǝ kaṯṯasi lɔɔmɔri lǝthi-li aari kiyiiriny, nǝ kwaathan tǝ ǝmǝ ɔɽɔmaṯṯi kwokwony, mindaŋ mǝŋǝsi Shiiṯaan ere mɔmmi mac, meere mithǝ rɔgwori kǝzir weere mac. 6 Ŋandica-ŋǝsi ŋɔ ŋiti ŋir waamir mac, laakin nǝrǝni ŋejmeth. 7 Nyii kwǝŋgi aamina ǝŋgi lizi tatap oro kaka nyuŋwɔ. Laakin lizi lǝṯǝthi haḏiiyyǝ weeŋen leere-leere wir kaka winḏǝthǝsi Allah wirna ter-ter.
8 Ŋandica-nyji ŋɔ lɔɔrɔ-ŋwɔsi laaw-li liti laagithɔ kinnǝni mac nǝ leethel lir laaw tok, ŋisaaw ethi naani domony kaka nyuŋwɔ. 9 Laakin mǝreere ǝthi ŋɔma ethi mithǝ rɔgwori mac tǝ, ethir aagithi. Kaka nɔvthannar-gwɔ ethi aagithi ki-lɔɔbi lǝthi-li dunnuni naana sɔɔrɔm-gi.
10 Nǝ ŋǝthi lizi kila laagithɔ tǝ, nǝnyji ǝthici waamira witi wir wiinyi mac, laakin nɔŋworo wǝthi Kweeleny. Ǝṯi kwaaw ɔrlacca kwɔlen ŋwɔdoŋw mac 11 (laakin mɔŋwsi ǝrri kǝzir weere tǝ, ǝtɔŋw ǝginǝ kwokwony mac, ya ŋwɔ daɽimatha ŋiɽaŋali kwɔlen-gi, e-ta ŋwɔmǝ aaɽitha naanɔ-ŋgwɔ), nǝ a kwɔr ere ǝccǝ kwayɔ kwuuŋwun ṯolliga mac.
12 Nǝ kila lithaathɔ tǝ, nyjǝccǝŋw nyii, ŋiti ŋir ŋǝthi Kweeleny mac, mǝ kwɔgrɔstiyan kweere ǝthi kwayɔ kwiti kwǝthi ṯǝmminǝ mac, laakin mɔŋw ǝmmini ethi nanni ŋundu-gi tǝ, ŋweere ǝccǝ ṯolliga mac. 13 Nǝ mǝ kwaaw ǝthi kwɔɔra kwiti kwir kwɔgrɔstiyan mac, laakin mɔŋw ǝmmini ethi-ŋi nanni tǝ, ŋweere ǝccǝ ŋunduŋw ṯolliga mac. 14 Nǝ kwɔr kwaagithɔ kwiti kwǝthi ṯǝmminǝ mac, kwinḏi Allah ethi ǝmmini ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝthi kwaaw kwuuŋwun kwǝthi ṯǝmminǝ, nǝ kwaaw kwiira ṯǝmminǝ a Allah ǝmmini tok ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝthi kwɔr kwuuŋwun kwǝthi ṯǝmminǝ, nǝ mǝreere oroŋw mac tǝ, a nyɔr nyaalɔ ere suuɽunni mac. Laakin nǝrtǝ ǝni nyirllinǝlɔ ter tɔttɔr. 15 Laakin ŋgwa kwiira ṯǝmminǝ mɔŋworo kwɔnaŋna ṯifaathalɔ ta, ethir faathalɔ; mǝr ǝrrini ŋirṯaŋw tǝ, nǝ kwɔr ŋgwa kwǝthi ṯǝmminǝ, ya kwaaw ŋgwa kwǝthi ṯǝmminǝ ere kǝkkini ŋundu-ŋgi ŋgwa mac. Kaka nɔrnɔṯɔ-nyji-gwɔ Allah ethaami naanɔŋw lammithɔ. 16 Kwaaw kwaalɔ, a kwilŋithi aŋgwɔrɔ ethaarɔŋw a kwiti kwinḏi ethi kilǝthi kwulǝlɔ mac? Kwɔr kwaalɔ, a kwilŋithi aŋgwɔrɔ ethaarɔŋw a kwiti kwinḏi ethi kilǝthi kwayɔ kwɔɔŋa mac?
Ǝṯeere aaralɔ tiŋgil-tiŋgil mac ki-ṯǝmminǝ-nǝ.
17 Ethɔŋw aami eleŋw kweere nyithak ki-ŋimiitha-na ŋuuŋun ŋa ŋinḏǝthǝsi Kweeleny haḏiiyyǝ, kaka ṯǝ kinaŋw nannɔ-ŋgwɔ kinaŋw nɔrnɔṯɔ-gwɔ Allah. Gaanuun kiinyi kirṯa ŋgɔ kǝṯinyii-gi aari @allima ki-yǝniisǝ-nǝ tatap. 18 Ŋgwa kwɔnaanɔ kweere kwuuɽunnǝ kerreny tuk niti nɔrnɔṯɔ Allah kinnǝni mac-a? Ǝṯɔŋw ṯǝccicǝ ethi kwuɽubǝthǝ @alaama-lɔ mac wǝthi ṯuuɽunnǝ. Ŋŋwa kwɔnaanɔ kweere kwiti kwuuɽunnǝ mac kinaŋw mǝ Allah ɔrnɔṯa? Ǝṯɔŋw-mǝ naŋna ṯuuɽunnǝlɔ mac. 19 Kaka niti nɔrɔ-gwɔ ṯuuɽunnǝ riɽaŋal ŋeere mac, wala ṯuuɽunnǝ ṯiira ethoro ŋiɽaŋal ŋeere. Laakin ethi mithǝ Sherii@a kwǝthi Allah noŋworo kwǝwthi. 20 Ethi-ta kweere nyithak nannitha kinaŋw, kaka tǝ kinaŋw nɔrnɔṯɔ-gwɔ Allah. 21 A kwir kwɔwaay kinaŋw nɔrnɔṯɔ-ŋa Allah? Naani-ṯǝ nyithak; laakin mǝ kaṯṯasi ṯaay ṯǝthi hɔrriiyya tǝ, ǝsi kǝniny ǝrri. 22 Mǝ Kweeleny ɔrnɔṯi kwɔwaaya kweere tǝ, ǝṯɔŋworo kwizi kwɔmoro hɔrr Kweeleny-ŋgi. Nǝ ŋwɔṯaŋw tok, mǝ Kwɔrɔstɔ ɔrnɔṯi kwizi kweere kwir hɔrr tǝ, ǝtɔŋworo kwɔwaay kwuuŋwun. 23 Allah wumǝ-ŋǝsi liṯṯa yiili-yi; ŋwɔṯaŋw ǝṯeere oro lɔwaay lǝthi lizi mac. 24 Ŋwɔṯaŋw liyǝŋgǝri liinyi ŋɔvthanna ethi nannatha ki-ŋɔmath-na Allah-yi kaka ṯǝ kinaŋw nɔrnɔṯɔ-ŋgwɔ ŋaaŋwɔsi.
Ṯɔṯalɔ ṯǝthi kila liti laaŋithɔ mac, nǝ leethel tok.
25 Nǝ ŋiɽaŋal ŋǝthi kila liti laagithɔ mac tǝ; ninyjeere ǝthici waamira weere mac wǝthi Kweeleny, laakin lǝnyji inḏǝthǝ fikirǝ kwiinyi kaka kwizi kwette kwǝṯir allatha rɔgwori naana ŋimɽi-ŋi ŋǝthi Kweeleny. 26 Nyii kwaarɔŋwa, kaka a-naanɔ-gwɔ ṯurvǝ kire-kirem ŋgwɔ tǝ, nǝr ɔvthanni ethi kwizi naani ṯǝŋw domony. 27 A-ŋgwa kwaagithɔ-a? Ǝṯi-mǝ naŋna ṯaayi-lɔ ethaari ṯolliga mac. A kwiti kwaagithɔ kinnǝni mac-a? Ǝṯi-mǝ naŋna ṯaagalɔ mac. 28 Laakin mǝ aagithi tǝ, neere ǝni kwǝrrǝ ŋikiyaŋi mac, na mǝ ŋiira ŋeere ǝgini tǝ, nǝreere ǝni ŋǝrrǝ ŋikiyaŋi mac. Laakin kila laagithɔ ǝri kaṯṯasi ṯurvǝ ṯǝthi ṯurmun, laakin nyii-tǝ nǝŋǝsi naŋni ethi rucci ṯurvǝnǝ kithaay. 29 Liyǝŋgǝri liinyi, ŋiɽaŋal ŋiinyi ŋǝniŋwɔ, lɔɔmɔr limǝ aadithi keṯṯok; nǝ kirem ṯaŋw tǝ, ethi kila laagithɔ oro kaka liti laagithi mac, 30 nǝ kila lǝṯi aari, ǝri oro kaka kila liti lǝṯi aari mac, nǝ kila lǝṯi nyeŋlena, ǝroro kaka kila liti lǝṯi nyeŋlena mac, nǝ kila lǝṯi illilla ǝroro kaka kila liti lǝṯǝthi mac ŋgwa kwǝṯir liṯṯa, 31 nǝ kila lǝṯisi piŋi ŋǝthi ṯurmun kiyǝnǝ yeeŋen, ǝrisi ruusi kaka ŋiti ŋɔppa mac kiyǝnǝ yeeŋen. Kaka ninḏi-gwɔ ṯurmun kɔthɔ etheere nannatha tɔttɔṯ kwokwony mac.
32 Nyii kwɔnaŋna-ŋǝsi etheere pipinni rɔgwor-na mac. Ǝṯi kwɔr kwiti kwaagithɔ mac, ǝṯɔŋwsi kettice yǝy ŋǝthi Kweeleny, nǝ kwinḏi ethǝmi Kweelenyi-na aŋgwɔrɔ; 33 nǝ ŋgwa kwaagithɔ tǝ, ǝṯɔŋw-ŋi pinni ṯɔgwor-na ŋǝthi ṯurmun, kwinḏi ethǝ-mi kwayɔ-na kwuuŋwun aŋgwɔrɔ, 34 ǝṯɔŋw mɔmlɔttanni raay riɽǝndǝk. Nǝ kwaaw kwiti kwǝginǝ mac, ya kiŋoɽo ǝṯɔŋwsi kettice yǝy ŋǝthi Kweeleny, kwinḏi ethi rilli aŋnalɔ ter aŋgwɔrɔ ṯigɽim-thi ṯuuŋwun; laakin kwaaw kwǝginǝ tǝ, ǝṯɔŋwsi kettice yǝy ŋǝthi ṯurmun, ethǝ-mi kwɔlen-na. 35 Ŋandica-ŋǝsi ŋɔ ethoro faayitha kwaalɔ, nǝreere ǝniŋw, ethi kǝkki ŋaaŋwɔsi mac, laakin ǝsi ǝrri ŋa tatap ŋɔvthanna ŋǝmǝ-ŋǝmmǝŋ, mindaŋ mǝ ǝkkici Kweelenyi ŋothɽor ṯɔgwor-ṯhi ṯɔtɔpɔt.
36 Mǝ kwɔr kweere aarɔŋw nyii kwɔmǝ ɽindaŋnalɔ eṯhi iiɽi tiira-na tiinyi timthi-nyii nda kaka mɔŋgwɔ ṯimmayini ŋayɔ, nǝ mɔŋw ǝni kwɔmǝ dunnuni sɔɔrɔm-gi naana beṯṯen tǝ, ethɔ-ŋwsi ǝrri kaka ŋa ŋamɽa ṯɔgwor ṯuuŋwun, ethir aagithi nǝ ŋikiya ŋiti ŋir mac. 37 Laakin mǝ kwɔr ere ǝthi ŋiɽaŋali ŋeere ŋinḏi ethi kwɔrmɔṯasi ŋunduŋw mac ethisi ǝrri, nǝ mɔŋw kittatha tig-tig etheere aagithi mac, nǝ mɔŋw ǝthi ŋɔma ethi mithǝ ṯɔgwori min-min tok, nǝ mɔŋw kittatha ki-ŋaɽiny-na kerreny tuk ethisǝrri tǝ, nɔŋwɔni ŋǝrrǝ-ŋwsi ŋisaaw etheere aagwɔ tiira mac. 38 Ŋwɔṯaŋw mǝ kwɔr aagwɔ tiira tuuŋwun, nɔŋwɔni ŋǝrrǝ-ŋwsi ŋisaaw. Nǝ ŋgwa kwiti kwaagwɔ kinnǝ tiira tuuŋwun mac tǝ, nɔŋwɔni ŋǝrrǝŋwsi ŋisaaw ŋithǝmthilǝ.
39 Kwaaw kwǝṯi kǝkkini kwɔlen-ŋgi mǝtǝ kwɔlen naani kinnǝni kwɔmiithɔ. Na mǝ kwɔlen ai tǝ, nɔŋworo hɔrr ethi ǝgini kwizi-gi ŋgwa kwamɽaŋw, laakin ethiŋworo kwǝthi Kweeleny. 40 Laakin ŋiinyi tǝ, nǝr ǝniŋw, ǝŋgwɔŋw naani domony tǝ, ǝŋgwɔŋw aamina beṯṯen. Ŋindǝr-ṯǝ-ŋɔ ŋǝthi fikir kwiinyi, nyii kwaarɔŋwa nyii kwǝthi Ṯigɽimǝ-nǝ tok ṯǝthi Allah.