1 KwabaseKhorinte 7

1 Mayelana-ke lezinto elangibhalela ngazo, kuhle emuntwini ukuthi angamthinti owesifazana.

Now concerning the things whereof you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2 Kodwa ngenxa yokuphinga, ngulowo lalowo kumele abe lowakhe umfazi, njalo ngulowo lalowomfazi abe leyakhe indoda.

Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

3 Indoda kayenanise kumfazi isifiso esihle esifaneleyo; langokunjalo lomfazi endodeni.

Let the husband render to the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife to the husband.

4 Umfazi kalamandla phezu kowakhe umzimba, kodwa indoda; langokunjalo lendoda kayilamandla phezu kowayo umzimba, kodwa umfazi.

The wife has not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband has not power of his own body, but the wife.

5 Lingagodlelani, ngaphandle kokuvumelana okwesikhathi, ukuthi lizinikele ekuzileni ukudla lekukhulekeni, libuye lihlangane futhi, ukuze uSathane angalilingi ngokungazithibi kwenu.

Defraud you not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

6 Kodwa lokhu ngikutsho ngemvumo, kungeyisikho ngomlayo.

But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

7 Ngoba ngithanda ukuthi abantu bonke babe njengami; kodwa ngulowo lalowo ulesakhe isiphiwo esivela kuNkulunkulu, omunye ngokunjalo, lomunye ngokunjalo.

For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man has his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

8 Kodwa kwabangendanga labafelokazi ngithi: Kuhle kubo uba behlala njengami.

I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

9 Kodwa uba bengelakuzithiba kabende; ngoba kungcono ukwenda kulokutsha.

But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

10 Kodwa kwabendileyo ngiyabalaya, kungeyisimi kodwa yiNkosi, ukuthi umfazi kangehlukani lendoda;

And to the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

11 kodwa uba laye esehlukana, kahlale engendanga, kumbe abuyisane lendoda; lendoda kayingamlahli umfazi.

But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

12 Kodwa kwabanye kutsho mina, kungeyisiyo iNkosi, ukuthi: Uba loba nguwuphi umzalwane elomfazi ongakholwayo, njalo yena evuma ukuhlala laye, angamlahli.

But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that believes not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

13 Lomfazi olendoda engakholwayo, njalo ivuma ukuhlala laye, angayitshiyi.

And the woman which has an husband that believes not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14 Ngoba indoda engakholwayo yenziwa ibe ngcwele ngomfazi, lomfazi ongakholwayo wenziwa abe ngcwele ngendoda. Uba kungenjalo abantwana benu ngabangcolileyo, kodwa khathesi bangcwele.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

15 Uba-ke ongakholwayo ezehlukanisa, kazehlukanise; kwezinjalo umzalwane kumbe umzalwanekazi kabotshwanga; kodwa uNkulunkulu usibizele ekuthuleni.

But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God has called us to peace.

16 Ngoba wazi ngani, mfazi, ukuthi uzayisindisa indoda? Kumbe wazi ngani, ndoda, ukuthi uzamsindisa umfazi?

For what know you, O wife, whether you shall save your husband? or how know you, O man, whether you shall save your wife?

17 Kuphela nje njengokuthi uNkulunkulu ababele ngulowo lalowo, njengoba iNkosi ibizile ngulowo lalowo, akahambe ngokunjalo. Langokunjalo ngiyalaya emabandleni wonke.

But as God has distributed to every man, as the Lord has called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

18 Ukhona yini owabizwa esokile? Kangabi ngongasokwanga. Ukhona yini owabizwa engasokanga? Kangasokwa.

Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

19 Ukusoka kakusilutho, lokungasoki kakusilutho, kodwa ukulondolozwa kwemilayo kaNkulunkulu.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

20 Ngulowo lalowo kahlale kubizo abizwe kulo.

Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

21 Wabizwa uyisigqili yini? Ungakhathazeki ngakho. Kodwa uba lawe ungakhululeka, kungcono ukusebenzise.

Are you called being a servant? care not for it: but if you may be made free, use it rather.

22 Ngoba lo obizwa eNkosini eyisigqili ungokhululekileyo weNkosi; ngokunjalo lalowo owabizwa ekhululekile, uyisigqili sikaKristu.

For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.

23 Lathengwa ngentengo; lingabi yizigqili zabantu.

You are bought with a price; be not you the servants of men.

24 Ngulowo lalowo abizelwe kukho, bazalwane, kahlale kukho loNkulunkulu.

Brothers, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

25 Kodwa mayelana lentombi kangilawo umlayo weNkosi; kodwa ngiyeluleka njengowemukele isihawu eNkosini ukuba athembeke.

Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

26 Ngakho ngikhumbula ukuthi lokhu kuhle ngenxa yenkathazo ezikhona, ukuthi kuhle emuntwini ukubanje.

I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.

27 Ubotshelwe emfazini yini? Ungadingi ukukhululwa. Ukhululwe emfazini yini? Ungadingi umfazi.

Are you bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

28 Kodwa uba lawe uthatha, kawoni; lentombi uba isenda, kayoni. Kanti abanjalo bazakuba lenkathazo enyameni; mina-ke ngiyaliphephisa.

But and if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

29 Kodwa ngitsho lokhu, bazalwane, ukuthi isikhathi sifitshane; kusukela khathesi labalabafazi kababe njengabangelabo;

But this I say, brothers, the time is short: it remains, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

30 labakhalayo, njengabangakhaliyo; labathokozayo, njengabangathokoziyo; labathengayo, njengabangelalutho;

And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;

31 labasebenzisa lumhlaba, njengabangawusebenzisisiyo; ngoba isimo salumhlaba siyedlula.

And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passes away.

32 Kodwa ngithanda ukuthi lingabi lakukhathazeka. Ongathathanga ukhathalela izinto zeNkosi, ukuthi uzayithokozisa njani iNkosi;

But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

33 kodwa othetheyo ukhathalela izinto zomhlaba, ukuthi uzamthokozisa njani umfazi.

But he that is married cares for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

34 Wehlukene umfazi lentombi. Ongathathwanga ukhathalela okweNkosi, ukuze abe ngcwele emzimbeni kanye lemoyeni; kodwa othethweyo ukhathalela okomhlaba, ukuthi uzayithokozisa njani indoda.

There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

35 Lalokhu ngikutsho ukuthi kube ngolwenu usizo; kungesikuthi ngiliphosele umchilo wokulikhina, kodwa ngokokufaneleyo lokubambelela eNkosini kungelakuphazamiseka.

And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare on you, but for that which is comely, and that you may attend on the Lord without distraction.

36 Kodwa uba umuntu ebona ukuthi uziphatha ngokungafanelanga entombini yakhe, yona isikhulile, futhi kumele kwenzeke kanje, kenze akufunayo; koni; kabatshade.

But if any man think that he behaves himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sins not: let them marry.

37 Kodwa omiyo eqinile enhliziyweni yakhe, engacindezelwa lutho, futhi elamandla ngesakhe isifiso, esekumisile lokhu enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi uzagcina eyakhe intombi, wenza kuhle;

Nevertheless he that stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well.

38 ngakho lowo owendisayo wenza kuhle; kodwa ongendisiyo wenza ngcono.

So then he that gives her in marriage does well; but he that gives her not in marriage does better.

39 Umfazi ubotshiwe ngomthetho selokhu indoda yakhe iphila; kodwa uba indoda yakhe isifile, ukhululekile ukuthi endele kulowo amthandayo, kuphela eNkosini.

The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

40 Kodwa uyathaba kakhulu uba ehlala enjalo, ngokubona kwami; ngikhumbula-ke ukuthi lami ngiloMoya kaNkulunkulu.

But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.