1 Akorinto 7
1 Tsopano pa zinthu zomwe munandilembera nʼkwabwino kuti munthu asakwatire.
I now deal with the subjects mentioned in your letter. It is well for a man to abstain altogether from marriage.
2 Koma chifukwa choti chigololo chawanda, mwamuna aliyense akhale naye mkazi wakewake ndipo mkazi aliyense akhale naye mwamuna wakewake.
But because there is so much fornication every man should have a wife of his own, and every woman should have a husband.
3 Mwamuna akwaniritse udindo wake wa pa banja kwa mkazi wake, ndipo chimodzimodzi mkazi kwa mwamuna wake.
Let a man pay his wife her due, and let a woman also pay her husband his.
4 Thupi la mkazi wokwatiwa si la iye mwini yekha koma ndi la mwamuna wakenso. Momwemonso, thupi la mwamuna si la iye mwini yekha koma ndi la mkazi wakenso.
A married woman is not mistress of her own person: her husband has certain rights. In the same way a married man is not master of his own person: his wife has certain rights.
5 Musamakanizane, pokhapokha mutagwirizana awiri kuti mwakanthawi mudzipereke kumapemphero. Kenaka mukhalirenso pamodzi kuopa kuti Satana angakuyeseni chifukwa cholephera kudziretsa.
Do not refuse one another, unless perhaps it is just for a time and by mutual consent, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer and may then associate again; lest the Adversary begin to tempt you because of your deficiency in self-control.
6 Ndikunena zimenezi mokulolani chabe osati mokulamulani.
Thus much in the way of concession, not of command.
7 Ine ndikanakonda anthu akanakhala ngati ine. Koma poti munthu aliyense ali ndi mphatso yakeyake yochokera kwa Mulungu, wina mphatso yake, wina yakenso.
Yet I would that everybody lived as I do; but each of us has his own special gift from God--one in one direction and one in another.
8 Tsono kwa osakwatira onse, ndi akazi amasiye ndikuti, ndi bwino kwa iwo kukhala osakwatira monga mmene ndilili inemu.
But I tell the unmarried, and women who are widows, that it is well for them to remain as I am.
9 Koma ngati sangathe kudziretsa, akwatire, popeza ndi bwino kukwatira kusiyana ndi kudzizunza ndi chilakolako.
If, however, they cannot maintain self-control, by all means let them marry; for marriage is better than the fever of passion.
10 Kwa amene ali pa banja ndikupatsani lamulo ili (osati langa koma la Ambuye): Mkazi asalekane ndi mwamuna wake.
But to those already married my instructions are--yet not mine, but the Lord's--that a wife is not to leave her husband;
11 Koma ngati atatero, asakwatiwenso, apo ayi, abwerere kwa mwamuna wakeyo. Ndipo mwamuna asaleke mkazi wake.
or if she has already left him, let her either remain as she is or be reconciled to him; and that a husband is not to send away his wife.
12 Kwa ena onse ndikunena izi (ineyo osati Ambuye); ngati mʼbale wina ali ndi mkazi wosakhulupirira ndipo mkaziyo walola kukhala pa banja ndi mʼbaleyo, ameneyo asamuleke.
To the rest it is I who speak--not the Lord. If a brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, let him not send her away.
13 Ngati mayi wina ali ndi mwamuna wosakhulupirira ndipo mwamunayo walola kukhala pa banja ndi mayiyo, ameneyo asamuleke.
And a woman who has an unbelieving husband--if he consents to live with her, let her not separate from him.
14 Pakuti mwamuna wosakhulupirirayo amayeretsedwa chifukwa cha mkazi wakeyo, ndipo mkazi wosakhulupirira amayeretsedwa chifukwa cha mwamuna wokhulupirirayo. Kupanda apo ana anu akanakhala odetsedwa, koma mmene zililimu ndi oyeretsedwa.
For, in such cases, the unbelieving husband has become--and is--holy through union with a Christian woman, and the unbelieving wife is holy through union with a Christian brother. Otherwise your children would be unholy, but in reality they have a place among God's people.
15 Koma ngati wosakhulupirira achoka, mulekeni achoke. Zikatero ndiye kuti mwamuna kapena mkazi wokhulupirirayo sali womangikanso. Mulungu anatiyitana kuti tikhale mu mtendere.
If, however, the unbeliever is determined to leave, let him or her do so. Under such circumstances the Christian man or woman is no slave; God has called us to live lives of peace.
16 Kodi iwe, mkazi, ungadziwe bwanji kuti mwina nʼkupulumutsa mwamuna wako? Kapena iwe, mwamuna, ungadziwe bwanji kuti mwina nʼkupulumutsa mkazi wako?
For what assurance have you, O woman, as to whether you will save your husband? Or what assurance have you, O man, as to whether you will save your wife?
17 Koma aliyense akhale moyo umene Ambuye anamupatsa, umene Mulungu anamuyitanira. Ili ndiye lamulo limene ndalikhazikitsa mʼmipingo yonse.
Only, whatever be the condition in life which the Lord has assigned to each individual--and whatever the condition in which he was living when God called him--in that let him continue.
18 Ngati pamene munthu amayitanidwa anali atachita mdulidwe, asavutike nʼkubisa za mdulidwe wakewo. Ngatinso pamene munthu amayitanidwa nʼkuti asanachite mdulidwe, asachite mdulidwe.
This is what I command in all the Churches. Was any one already circumcised when called? Let him not have recourse to the surgeons. Was any one uncircumcised when called? Let him remain uncircumcised.
19 Mdulidwe si kanthu, kusachita mdulidwe si kanthunso. Chofunika nʼkusunga malamulo a Mulungu.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing: obedience to God's commandments is everything.
20 Aliyense akhale monga analili pamene Mulungu anamuyitana.
Whatever be the condition in life in which a man was, when he was called, in that let him continue.
21 Kodi munali kapolo pamene Mulungu anakuyitanani? Musavutike nazo zimenezi. Koma ngati mutapeza mwayi woti mulandire ufulu, ugwiritseni ntchito mwayiwo.
Were you a slave when God called you? Let not that weigh on your mind. And yet if you can get your freedom, take advantage of the opportunity.
22 Pakuti amene anali kapolo pamene amayitanidwa ndi Ambuye, ndi mfulu wa Ambuye; chimodzimodzinso amene anali mfulu pamene anayitanidwa, ndi kapolo wa Khristu.
For a Christian, if he was a slave when called, is the Lord's freed man, and in the same way a free man, if called, becomes the slave of Christ.
23 Munagulidwa ndi mtengowapatali, choncho musakhalenso akapolo a anthu.
You have all been redeemed at infinite cost: do not become slaves to men.
24 Abale, aliyense angokhala pamaso pa Mulungu monga momwe analili pamene Mulungu anamuyitana.
Where each one stood when he was called, there, brethren, let him still stand--close to God.
25 Tsopano za anamwali: Ine ndilibe lamulo lochokera kwa Ambuye, koma ndipereka maganizo anga monga ngati munthu amene mwachifundo cha Ambuye ndine wodalirika.
Concerning unmarried women I have no command to give you from the Lord; but I offer you my opinion, which is that of a man who, through the Lord's mercy, is deserving of your confidence.
26 Chifukwa cha masautso a masiku ano, ndikuganiza kuti nʼkwabwino kuti munthu akhale monga mmene alili.
I think then that, taking into consideration the distress which is now upon us, it is well for a man to remain as he is.
27 Kodi ndinu wokwatira? Musalekane. Kodi ndinu wosakwatira? Musafunefune mkazi.
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to get free. Are you free from the marriage bond? Do not seek for a wife.
28 Komabe ngati mukwatira simunachimwe; ndipo ngati namwali akwatiwa sanachimwenso. Koma amene walowa mʼbanja adzakumana ndi zovuta zambiri mʼmoyo uno, ndipo sindikufuna kuti inu mukumane ndi zovutazi.
Yet if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a maiden marries, she has not sinned. Such people, however, will have outward trouble. But I am for sparing you.
29 Abale, chimene ndikutanthauza nʼchakuti nthawi yatha. Kuyambira tsopano anthu okwatira akhale ngati sanakwatire.
Yet of this I warn you, brethren: the time has been shortened--so that henceforth those who have wives should be as though they had none,
30 Amene akulira akhale monga ngati sakulira. Amene akukondwa akhale ngati sakukondwa. Amene akugula zinthu akhale ngati alibe zinthuzo.
those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess,
31 Amene akugwiritsa ntchito zinthu za dziko lapansi lino, akhale ngati sizikuwakhudza. Pakuti dziko lapansi lino mmene lilirimu, likupita.
and those who use the world as not using it to the full. For the world as it now exists is passing away.
32 Ine ndikufuna kuti mumasuke ku nkhawa zanu. Munthu wosakwatira amangolabadira za Ambuye, mmene angakondweretsere Ambuyewo.
And I would have you free from worldly anxiety. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's business--how he shall please the Lord;
33 Koma wa pa banja amalabadira za dziko lapansi lino, mmene angakondweretsere mkazi wake,
but a married man concerns himself with the business of the world--how he shall please his wife.
34 ndipo chifukwa ichi amatanganidwa kwambiri. Mkazi wosakwatiwa kapena namwali, amalabadira za Ambuye. Cholinga chake ndi kudzipereka kwa Ambuye mʼthupi ndi mu uzimu momwe. Koma mkazi wokwatiwa amalabadira za dziko lapansi lino, mmene angakondweretsere mwamuna wake.
There is a difference too between a married and an unmarried woman. She who is unmarried concerns herself with the Lord's business--that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but the married woman concerns herself with the business of the world--how she shall please her husband.
35 Ndikunena izi kufuna kuthandiza inu nomwe osati kukupanikizani. Ine ndikufuna mukhale moyenera mosadzigawa pa kudzipereka kwanu kwa Ambuye.
Thus much I say in your own interest; not to lay a trap for you, but to help towards what is becoming, and enable you to wait on the Lord without distraction.
36 Ngati wina akuganiza kuti akumulakwira namwali yemwe anapalana naye ubwenzi, ndipo ngati chilakolako chake chikunka chikulirakulirabe, ndipo akuona kuti nʼkofunika kumukwatira, ayenera kuchita monga wafunira, kutero si kuchimwa ayi.
If, however, a father thinks he is acting unbecomingly towards his still unmarried daughter if she be past the bloom of her youth, and so the matter is urgent, let him do what she desires; he commits no sin; she and her suitor should be allowed to marry.
37 Koma ngati wina motsimikiza mtima wake, popanda womukakamiza, koma akuchita mwa chifuniro chake, ndipo watsimikiza mtima kuti samukwatira namwaliyo, munthuyu akuchitanso chokhoza.
But if a father stands firm in his resolve, being free from all external constraint and having a legal right to act as he pleases, and in his own mind has come to the decision to keep his daughter unmarried, he will do well.
38 Choncho amene akukwatira namwali amene ali naye pa ubwenzi, akuchita bwino, koma amene sangakwatire namwaliyo akuchita bwino koposa.
So that he who gives his daughter in marriage does well, and yet he who does not give her in marriage will do better.
39 Mkazi amamangika ndi lamulo la ukwati nthawi zonse pamene mwamuna wake ali ndi moyo. Koma mwamuna wake akamwalira, ali ndi ufulu kukwatiwa ndi wina aliyense amene akumufuna, koma mwamunayo akhale wa mwa Ambuye.
A woman is bound to her husband during the whole period that he lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to marry whom she will, provided that he is a Christian.
40 Mʼmaganizo anga, mkaziyo adzakhala wokondwa koposa ngati atangokhala wosakwatiwa. Ndipo ndikuganiza kuti inenso ndili naye Mzimu wa Mulungu.
But in my judgement, her state is a more enviable one if she remains as she is; and I also think that I have the Spirit of God.
