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.
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.