< 1 KwabaseKhorinte 7 >
1 Mayelana lezindaba elaloba ngazo: “Kuhle ukuba indoda ingabi lobudlelwano bemacansini lowesifazane.”
I now deal with the subjects mentioned in your letter. It is well for a man to abstain altogether from marriage.
2 Kodwa njengoba kulokuhlobonga okungaka, indoda yinye kumele ibe lobudlelwano bemacansini lomkayo, lomfazi munye abe lendoda yakhe.
But because there is so much fornication every man should have a wife of his own, and every woman should have a husband.
3 Indoda kumele igcwalise umlandu wayo wokuthathana kumkayo, kube njalo lomfazi endodeni yakhe.
Let a man pay his wife her due, and let a woman also pay her husband his.
4 Umfazi kalamandla ngomzimba wakhe kodwa uwunikela kumkakhe. Ngokufanayo, lendoda kayilamandla ngomzimba wayo kodwa iwunikela kumkayo.
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 Lingancitshani ngaphandle kokuba kungokokuvumelana njalo okwesikhatshana, ukuze lizinikele ekukhulekeni. Libuye lihlangane futhi ukuze uSathane angalilingi ngenxa yokusilela kokuzithiba kwenu.
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 Lokhu ngikutsho njengokuvumela, hatshi njengomlayo.
Thus much in the way of concession, not of command.
7 Sengathi ngabe lonke linjengami. Kodwa umuntu ngamunye ulesipho sakhe esivela kuNkulunkulu, omunye ulalesi isipho, omunye laye ulalesiyana.
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 Kwabangendanga labafelokazi ngithi: Kuhle kubo ukuba bahlale bengendanga, njengami.
But I tell the unmarried, and women who are widows, that it is well for them to remain as I am.
9 Kodwa nxa bengeke bazithiba, kabende, ngoba ukwenda kungcono kulokutshiseka ngokufisa.
If, however, they cannot maintain self-control, by all means let them marry; for marriage is better than the fever of passion.
10 Abathatheneyo ngibapha umlayo lo (hatshi mina, kodwa iNkosi): Umfazi akumelanga ehlukane lendoda yakhe.
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 Kodwa nxa ekwenzile, kahlale engendanga loba abuyisane lendoda yakhe. Lendoda akumelanga imlahle umkayo.
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 Kwabanye ngithi (mina, hatshi iNkosi): Nxa umzalwane elomfazi ongasilokholwa kodwa evuma ukuhlala laye, akumelanga amlahle.
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 Njalo nxa owesifazane elendoda engakholwayo ivuma ukuhlala laye, akumelanga ayilahle.
And a woman who has an unbelieving husband--if he consents to live with her, let her not separate from him.
14 Ngoba indoda engakholwayo isingcweliswe ngomkayo, lomfazi ongakholwayo usengcweliswe ngendoda yakhe ekholwayo. Kungenjalo ngabe abantwana benu bangcolile, kodwa okwamanje bangcwele.
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 Kodwa nxa ongakholwayo etshiya, myekeleni enze njalo. Owesilisa kumbe owesifazane okholwayo phakathi kabotshelwanga phakathi komumo onje; uNkulunkulu usibizele ukuhlala ngokuthula.
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 Wazi njani, mfazi, mhlawumbe uzasindisa indoda yakho? Loba, wazi njani ndoda, mhlawumbe uzasindisa umkakho?
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 Lanxa kunjalo, lowo lalowo ekuphileni kumele agcine leyondawo iNkosi emuphe yona njalo abizelwe kuyo nguNkulunkulu. Lo ngumlayo engiwubeka emabandleni wonke.
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 Indoda yayivele isisokile ekubizweni kwayo na? Kayingabi ngengasokanga. Indoda yayingasokanga ekubizweni kwayo na? Akumelanga isokwe.
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 Ukusoka lokungasoki konke kuyize. Ukugcina imilayo kaNkulunkulu yikho okuqakathekileyo.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing: obedience to God's commandments is everything.
20 Lowo lalowo kahlale kulesosimo ayekuso ekubizweni kwakhe nguNkulunkulu.
Whatever be the condition in life in which a man was, when he was called, in that let him continue.
21 Wawuyisigqili na ekubizweni kwakho? Kakungakukhathazi, lanxa ungathola ukukhululeka kwakho, yenza njalo.
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 Ngoba lowo owayeyisigqili ekubizweni kwakhe yiNkosi, ungokhululekileyo weNkosi; ngokufanayo, lowo owayekhululekile ekubizweni kwakhe uyisigqili sikaKhristu.
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 Lathengwa ngentengo; kalingabi yizigqili zabantu.
You have all been redeemed at infinite cost: do not become slaves to men.
24 Bazalwane, umuntu munye ngamunye, njengolomlandu kuNkulunkulu, kumele ahlale ekulesosimo uNkulunkulu ambizela kuso.
Where each one stood when he was called, there, brethren, let him still stand--close to God.
25 Mayelana lezintombi ezigcweleyo: Kangilamlayo ovela eNkosini, kodwa ngahlulela njengothembekileyo ngomusa weNkosi.
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 Ngenxa yokukhathazeka kwakhathesi, ngicabanga ukuthi kuhle kini ukuba lihlale linjengoba linjalo.
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 Uthethe na? Ungadingi ukwehlukana. Kawuthathanga na? Ungathathi.
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 Kodwa nxa uthatha, kawenzanga sono njalo nxa intombi egcweleyo isenda kayonanga. Kodwa labo abathathanayo bazabona inhlupho ezinengi kulokhukuphila, njalo ngifuna ukuliphephisa kulokhu.
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 Engikutshoyo, bazalwane, yikuthi isikhathi sifitshane. Kusukela khathesi kusiya phambili labo abalabafazi kabaphile kungathi kabalabo:
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 labo abakhalayo, kube sengathi kabakhali; labathokozayo babe njengabangathokoziyo; labo abathenga ulutho, kube sengathi kalusilo lwabo ukuba balugcine;
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 labo abasebenzisa izinto zasemhlabeni, kube sengathi kabathathekanga kuzo. Ngoba umhlaba lo kulesisimo sawo sakhathesi uyedlula.
and those who use the world as not using it to the full. For the world as it now exists is passing away.
32 Ngifuna ukuba linganqineki. Umuntu ongathathanga unqinekela izindaba zeNkosi, ukuba angayithokozisa kanjani iNkosi.
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 Kodwa umuntu othetheyo unqinekela izindaba zalo umhlaba, ukuba angamthokozisa kanjani umkakhe,
but a married man concerns himself with the business of the world--how he shall please his wife.
34 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.
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 Ngitsho lokhu ukuba kube lusizo kini, hatshi ukulivimbela. Ngifuna ukuba liphile ngendlela eqondileyo ngokuzinikela okupheleleyo eNkosini.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Ngakho-ke, lowo othatha intombi egcweleyo wenza okuqondileyo, kodwa lowo ongayithathiyo wenza okungcono kakhulu.
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 Owesifazane ubotshelwe endodeni yakhe nxa isaphila. Kodwa indoda yakhe ingafa, ukhululekile ukwendela kwenye ayithandayo, kodwa kumele ibe seNkosini.
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 Ngokubona kwami, uyathokoza kakhulu nxa ehlala enjalo, njalo ngiyakholwa ukuthi ngiloMoya kaNkulunkulu.
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.