1 Corinthians 7
1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote: it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
Mayelana lezindaba elaloba ngazo: “Kuhle ukuba indoda ingabi lobudlelwano bemacansini lowesifazane.”
2 But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
Kodwa njengoba kulokuhlobonga okungaka, indoda yinye kumele ibe lobudlelwano bemacansini lomkayo, lomfazi munye abe lendoda yakhe.
3 Let the husband fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
Indoda kumele igcwalise umlandu wayo wokuthathana kumkayo, kube njalo lomfazi endodeni yakhe.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife.
Umfazi kalamandla ngomzimba wakhe kodwa uwunikela kumkakhe. Ngokufanayo, lendoda kayilamandla ngomzimba wayo kodwa iwunikela kumkayo.
5 Do not deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to prayer, and may be together again, that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Lingancitshani ngaphandle kokuba kungokokuvumelana njalo okwesikhatshana, ukuze lizinikele ekukhulekeni. Libuye lihlangane futhi ukuze uSathane angalilingi ngenxa yokusilela kokuzithiba kwenu.
6 But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.
Lokhu ngikutsho njengokuvumela, hatshi njengomlayo.
7 Yet I wish that all people were like me. However each one has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.
Sengathi ngabe lonke linjengami. Kodwa umuntu ngamunye ulesipho sakhe esivela kuNkulunkulu, omunye ulalesi isipho, omunye laye ulalesiyana.
8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am.
Kwabangendanga labafelokazi ngithi: Kuhle kubo ukuba bahlale bengendanga, njengami.
9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry. For it's better to marry than to burn.
Kodwa nxa bengeke bazithiba, kabende, ngoba ukwenda kungcono kulokutshiseka ngokufisa.
10 But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband
Abathatheneyo ngibapha umlayo lo (hatshi mina, kodwa iNkosi): Umfazi akumelanga ehlukane lendoda yakhe.
11 (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.
Kodwa nxa ekwenzile, kahlale engendanga loba abuyisane lendoda yakhe. Lendoda akumelanga imlahle umkayo.
12 But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her.
Kwabanye ngithi (mina, hatshi iNkosi): Nxa umzalwane elomfazi ongasilokholwa kodwa evuma ukuhlala laye, akumelanga amlahle.
13 The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband.
Njalo nxa owesifazane elendoda engakholwayo ivuma ukuhlala laye, akumelanga ayilahle.
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
Ngoba indoda engakholwayo isingcweliswe ngomkayo, lomfazi ongakholwayo usengcweliswe ngendoda yakhe ekholwayo. Kungenjalo ngabe abantwana benu bangcolile, kodwa okwamanje bangcwele.
15 Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called you to peace.
Kodwa nxa ongakholwayo etshiya, myekeleni enze njalo. Owesilisa kumbe owesifazane okholwayo phakathi kabotshelwanga phakathi komumo onje; uNkulunkulu usibizele ukuhlala ngokuthula.
16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Wazi njani, mfazi, mhlawumbe uzasindisa indoda yakho? Loba, wazi njani ndoda, mhlawumbe uzasindisa umkakho?
17 Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the churches.
Lanxa kunjalo, lowo lalowo ekuphileni kumele agcine leyondawo iNkosi emuphe yona njalo abizelwe kuyo nguNkulunkulu. Lo ngumlayo engiwubeka emabandleni wonke.
18 Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.
Indoda yayivele isisokile ekubizweni kwayo na? Kayingabi ngengasokanga. Indoda yayingasokanga ekubizweni kwayo na? Akumelanga isokwe.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Ukusoka lokungasoki konke kuyize. Ukugcina imilayo kaNkulunkulu yikho okuqakathekileyo.
20 Let each person stay in that calling in which he was called.
Lowo lalowo kahlale kulesosimo ayekuso ekubizweni kwakhe nguNkulunkulu.
21 Were you called being a slave? Do not let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.
Wawuyisigqili na ekubizweni kwakho? Kakungakukhathazi, lanxa ungathola ukukhululeka kwakho, yenza njalo.
22 For he who was called in the Lord being a slave is the Lord's free person. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ's slave.
Ngoba lowo owayeyisigqili ekubizweni kwakhe yiNkosi, ungokhululekileyo weNkosi; ngokufanayo, lowo owayekhululekile ekubizweni kwakhe uyisigqili sikaKhristu.
23 You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of people.
Lathengwa ngentengo; kalingabi yizigqili zabantu.
24 Brothers, let each one, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.
Bazalwane, umuntu munye ngamunye, njengolomlandu kuNkulunkulu, kumele ahlale ekulesosimo uNkulunkulu ambizela kuso.
25 Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.
Mayelana lezintombi ezigcweleyo: Kangilamlayo ovela eNkosini, kodwa ngahlulela njengothembekileyo ngomusa weNkosi.
26 I think that it is good therefore, because of the distress that is on us, that it is good for a person to remain as he is.
Ngenxa yokukhathazeka kwakhathesi, ngicabanga ukuthi kuhle kini ukuba lihlale linjengoba linjalo.
27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
Uthethe na? Ungadingi ukwehlukana. Kawuthathanga na? Ungathathi.
28 But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to spare you.
Kodwa nxa uthatha, kawenzanga sono njalo nxa intombi egcweleyo isenda kayonanga. Kodwa labo abathathanayo bazabona inhlupho ezinengi kulokhukuphila, njalo ngifuna ukuliphephisa kulokhu.
29 But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, those who have wives should be as though they had none;
Engikutshoyo, bazalwane, yikuthi isikhathi sifitshane. Kusukela khathesi kusiya phambili labo abalabafazi kabaphile kungathi kabalabo:
30 and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;
labo abakhalayo, kube sengathi kabakhali; labathokozayo babe njengabangathokoziyo; labo abathenga ulutho, kube sengathi kalusilo lwabo ukuba balugcine;
31 and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the form of this world is passing away.
labo abasebenzisa izinto zasemhlabeni, kube sengathi kabathathekanga kuzo. Ngoba umhlaba lo kulesisimo sawo sakhathesi uyedlula.
32 But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
Ngifuna ukuba linganqineki. Umuntu ongathathanga unqinekela izindaba zeNkosi, ukuba angayithokozisa kanjani iNkosi.
33 but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
Kodwa umuntu othetheyo unqinekela izindaba zalo umhlaba, ukuba angamthokozisa kanjani umkakhe,
34 and is divided. And the woman that is unmarried, or a virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the one that is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
lezifiso zakhe zehlukene phakathi. Umfazi ongendanga loba intombi egcweleyo inqinekela izindaba zeNkosi: Isifiso sayo yikuzinikela eNkosini ngakho kokubili umzimba lomoya. Kodwa umfazi owendileyo unqinekela izindaba zalo umhlaba, ukuba angamthokozisa kanjani umkakhe.
35 This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction.
Ngitsho lokhu ukuba kube lusizo kini, hatshi ukulivimbela. Ngifuna ukuba liphile ngendlela eqondileyo ngokuzinikela okupheleleyo eNkosini.
36 But if anyone thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He does not sin. Let them marry.
Nxa umuntu ecabanga ukuthi uziphatha ngokungafanelanga entombini egcweleyo athandana layo, esilokhu isiba ndala, njalo esizwa kusithi kufanele athathe, kenze njengokuthanda kwakhe. Kenzi sono. Kumele bathathane.
37 But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own heart, to keep his own virgin, does well.
Kodwa umuntu osenze isinqumo engqondweni yakhe engancindezelwanga kodwa elamandla okuzibamba esifisweni sakhe, njalo osemise engqondweni yakhe ukungayithathi intombi leyo, umuntu lo laye wenza into eqondileyo.
38 So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage does better.
Ngakho-ke, lowo othatha intombi egcweleyo wenza okuqondileyo, kodwa lowo ongayithathiyo wenza okungcono kakhulu.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, only in the Lord.
Owesifazane ubotshelwe endodeni yakhe nxa isaphila. Kodwa indoda yakhe ingafa, ukhululekile ukwendela kwenye ayithandayo, kodwa kumele ibe seNkosini.
40 But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God's Spirit.
Ngokubona kwami, uyathokoza kakhulu nxa ehlala enjalo, njalo ngiyakholwa ukuthi ngiloMoya kaNkulunkulu.
