1 Abakkolinso 7

1 Kaakano ku bintu bye mwampandiikira, kirungi omusajja obutakwatanga ku mukazi.

With reference to the subjects about which you wrote to me: It would be well for a man to remain single.

2 Naye olw’ebikolwa eby’obwenzi, buli musajja abeerenga ne mukazi we; era na buli mukazi abeerenga ne bba.

But, owing to the prevalence of immorality, I advise every man to have his own wife, and every woman her husband.

3 Omusajja ateekwa okutuukirizanga eby’obufumbo byonna eri mukazi we era n’omukazi bw’atyo.

A husband should give his wife her due, and a wife her husband.

4 Kubanga omukazi bw’afumbirwa aba takyafuga mubiri gwe ye wabula bba, era n’omusajja bw’atyo aba takyafuga mubiri gwe ye wabula mukazi we y’aba agulinako obuyinza.

It is not the wife, but the husband, who exercises power over her body; and so, too, it is not the husband, but the wife, who exercises power over his body.

5 Buli omu alemenga okumma munne wabula nga mulagaanye ekiseera mulyoke mufune ebbanga ery’okusabiramu n’oluvannyuma muddiŋŋanenga, Setaani aleme okubasuula olw’obuteefuga bwammwe.

Do not deprive each other of what is due — unless it is only for a time and by mutual consent, so that your minds may be free for prayer till you again live as man and wife — lest Satan should take advantage of your want of self-control and tempt you.

6 Naye kino nkyogera mu ngeri ya kukkiriziganya so si mu ngeri ya kuwa kiragiro.

I say this, however, as a concession, not as a command.

7 Nandyagadde buli omu abeere nga nze; naye buli muntu alina ekirabo ekikye ku bubwe ekiva eri Katonda, omu mu ngeri emu n’omulala mu ngeri endala.

I should wish every one to be just what I am myself. But every one has his own gift from God — one in one way, and one in another.

8 Naye njogera eri abo abatannawasa ne bannamwandu; kirungi okusigala nga bwe bali, era nga nze bwe ndi.

My advice, then, to those who are not married, and to widows, is this: It would be well for them to remain as I am myself.

9 Naye bwe baba tebasobola kwefuga bafumbirwe, oba bawase, kubanga okufumbiriganwa kisinga okwakiriranga okw’okwegomba.

But, if they cannot control themselves, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to be consumed with passion.

10 Naye abafumbo mbawa etteeka eriva eri Mukama waffe: omukazi tanobanga ku bba.

To those who are married my direction is — yet it is not mine, but the Master’s — that a woman is not to leave her husband

11 Singa baawukana, omukazi ateekwa kubeerera awo, oba si ekyo addeyo ewa bba basonyiwagane; n’omusajja tagobanga mukazi we.

(If she has done so, let her remain as she is, or else be reconciled to her husband) and also that a man is not to divorce his wife.

12 Abalala njogera gye bali kubanga si tteeka eriva eri Mukama waffe, naye mbagamba nti owooluganda bw’abeera n’omukazi atali mukkiriza ng’ayagala okubeera naye, tamugobanga.

To all others I say — I, not the Master — If a Brother is married to a woman, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with him, he should not divorce her;

13 Era omukazi omukkiriza alina bba atali mukkiriza naye ng’amwagala, tamuvangako.

and a woman who is married to a man, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with her, should not divorce her husband.

14 Kubanga omusajja atali mukkiriza ayinza okufuulibwa omukkiriza ng’ayambibwa mukyala we omukkiriza, oba omukyala atali mukkiriza ayinza okufuulibwa omukkiriza ng’ayambibwa bba omukkiriza. Kubanga bwe kitaba ekyo abaana bammwe banditwaliddwa ng’abatali balongoofu naye ku lw’ekyo abaana bammwe baba balongoofu.

For, through his wife, the husband who is an unbeliever has become associated with Christ’s People; and the wife who is an unbeliever has become associated with Christ’s People through our Brother whom she has married. Otherwise your children would be ‘defiled,’ but, as it is, they belong to Christ’s People.

15 Kyokka oyo atali mukkiriza bw’ayagala okwawukana, baawukane; mu nsonga eyo omusajja omukkiriza oba omukyala taasibwenga mu ekyo, kubanga Katonda ayagala abaana be okubeera n’eddembe.

However, if the unbeliever wishes to be separated, let him be so. Under such circumstances neither the Brother nor the Sister is bound; God has called you to live in peace.

16 Ggwe omukazi omukkiriza omanyi otya ng’olirokola balo? Oba ggwe omusajja omukkiriza omanyi otya ng’olirokola mukazi wo?

How can you tell, wife, whether you may not save your husband? and how can you tell, husband, whether you may not save your wife?

17 Buli omu abeere mu bulamu Mukama bwe yamuwa, era Katonda mwe yamuyitira mw’abatambuliranga. Ekyo ky’ekiragiro kye mpa ekkanisa zonna.

In any case, a man should continue to live in the condition which the Lord has allotted to him, and in which he was when God called him. This is the rule that I lay down in every Church.

18 Eyayitibwa ng’amaze okukomolebwa aleme kugamba nti ssinga teyakomolebwa, n’oyo eyakkiriza nga si mukomole aleme kufaayo ku kukomolebwa.

Was a man already circumcised when he was called? Then he should not efface his circumcision. Has a man been called when uncircumcised? Then he should not be circumcised.

19 Kubanga okukomolebwa si kintu era obutakomolebwa si kintu, wabula ekikulu kwe kukwata amateeka ga Katonda.

Circumcision is nothing; the want of it is nothing; but to keep the commands of God is everything.

20 Buli omu abeerenga mu kuyitibwa Katonda kwe yamuyitiramu.

Let every one remain in that condition of life in which he was when the Call came to him.

21 Oba nga wayitibwa ng’oli muddu ekyo kireme okuba ekikulu; naye bw’oba ng’ofunye omukisa okufuuka ow’eddembe, gukozese.

Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that trouble you. No, even if you are able to gain your freedom, still do your best.

22 Kubanga eyayitibwa Mukama nga muddu, Mukama yamufuula wa ddembe, n’oyo eyali ow’eddembe yafuuka muddu wa Kristo.

For the man who was a slave when he was called to the master’s service is the Master’s freed-man; so, too, the man who was free when called is Christ’s slave.

23 Mwagulibwa na muwendo noolwekyo temufuukanga baddu ba bantu.

You were bought, and the price was paid. Do not let yourselves become slaves to men.

24 Kale abooluganda, buli kifo kyonna omuntu yenna ky’alimu, mwe yayitirwa abeere mu ekyo.

Brothers, let every one remain in the condition in which he was when he was called, in close communion with God.

25 Naye ku ky’abatafumbirwanga wadde okuwasa, sirina kiragiro kiva eri Mukama wabula Mukama mu kusaasira kwe yampa amagezi agayinza okwesigibwa kwe nnaasinziira okubawa ekirowoozo kyange.

With regard to unmarried women, I have no command from the Master to give you, but I tell you my opinion, and it is that of a man whom the Master in his mercy has made worthy to be trusted.

26 Kino nkirowooza nga kirungi, olw’embeera eya kaakano, nga kirungi omuntu okusigala nga bw’ali.

I think, then, that, in view of the time of suffering that has now come upon us, what I have already said is best — that a man should remain as he is.

27 Obanga oli mufumbo tosaanye kwawukana na munno. Naye obanga wayawukana n’omukazi, tonoonya wa kuwasa.

Are you married to a wife? Then do not seek to be separated. Are you separated from a wife? Then do not seek for a wife.

28 Kyokka omusajja bw’awasa aba tayonoonye, era n’embeerera bw’afumbirwa naye aba tayonoonye. Wabula abafumbo, obufumbo bujja kubaleetera emitawaana gye nandiyagadde mwewale.

still, if you should marry, that is not wrong; nor, if a young woman marries, is that wrong. But those who marry will have much trouble to bear, and my wish is to spare you.

29 Naye kino kye mbategeeza abooluganda nti ekiseera kiyimpawadde. Noolwekyo abo abalina abakazi babe ng’abatabalina.

What I mean, Brothers, is this — the time is short. Meanwhile, let those who have wives live as if they had none,

30 N’abo abakaaba babe ng’abatakaaba, n’abo abasanyuka babe ng’abatasanyuka. N’abo abagula ebintu babe ng’abatalina kintu kye bayita kyabwe.

those who are weeping as if not weeping, those who are rejoicing as if not rejoicing, those who buy as if not possessing,

31 Era n’abo abakozesa eby’oku nsi kuno bireme okubamalamu ennyo, kubanga ensi eya kaakano eggwaawo.

and those who use the good things of the world as using them sparingly; for this world as we see it is passing away.

32 Naye kye mbagaliza mmwe bwe buteraliikirira. Omusajja atali mufumbo yeemalira ku bya Mukama, engeri gy’asanyusa Mukama.

I want you to be free from anxiety. The unmarried man is anxious about the Master’s Cause, desiring to please him;

33 Naye omufumbo yeeraliikirira bya nsi, nga bw’anaasanyusa mukazi we;

while the married man is anxious about worldly matters, desiring to please his wife;

34 aba yeesazeemu, ng’atta aga n’aga. N’omukazi atali mufumbo n’embeerera bafaayo ku bintu bya Mukama, babeerenga batukuvu mu mubiri ne mu mwoyo. Naye omukazi omufumbo yeeraliikirira bya mu nsi, engeri gy’anaasanyusaamu bba.

and so his interests are divided. Again, the unmarried woman, whether she is old or young, is anxious about the Master’s Cause, striving to be pure both in body and in spirit, while the married woman is anxious about worldly matters, desiring to please her husband.

35 Bino mbyogera olw’okubagasa, so si kubaziyiza kuwasa na kufumbirwa. Kubanga njagala musobole okuweereza Mukama nga tewali birala bibaziyiza okweweerayo ddala.

I say this for your own benefit, not with any intention of putting a halter round your necks, but in order to secure for the Master seemly and constant devotion, free from all distraction.

36 Omusajja bw’alowooza nti aba teyeeyisizza bulungi eri omuwala oyo gw’ayogereza bw’atamuwasa, bwe bafumbiriganwa, aba tayonoonye.

If, however, a father thinks that he is not acting fairly by his unmarried daughter, when she is past her youth, and if under these circumstances her marriage ought to take place, let him act as he thinks right. He is doing nothing wrong — let the marriage take place.

37 Naye oyo asobola okwefuga ng’alina omutima omunywevu, n’asalawo awatali kuwalirizibwa nti omuwala tajja kumuwasa, aba asazeewo bulungi.

On the other hand, a father, who has definitely made up his mind, and is under no compulsion, but is free to carry out his own wishes, and who has come to the decision, in his own mind, to keep his unmarried daughter at home will be doing right.

38 Kale oyo awasa omuwala gw’ayogereza aba akoze bulungi, naye oyo atamuwasa y’aba asinze okukola obulungi.

In short, the one who consents to his daughter’s marriage is doing right, and yet the other will be doing better.

39 Omukazi omufumbo abeera kitundu kya bba, bba bw’aba akyali mulamu. Naye bba bw’afa olwo ayinza okufumbirwa omusajja omulala gw’ayagala, kyokka omusajja oyo ateekwa kuba mu Mukama waffe yekka.

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but, if the husband should pass to his rest, the widow is free to marry any one she wishes, provided he is a believer.

40 Naye nze ndowooza nti alina omukisa oyo singa taddayo kufumbirwa. Era ndowooza nga nange nnina Omwoyo wa Katonda.

Yet she will be happier if she remains as she is — in my opinion, for I think that I also have the Spirit of God.