1 Wakorintho 7
1 Kuhusu mambo mliyoniandikia: Kuna wakati ambapo ni vizuri mwanaume asilale na mke wake.
Now concerning the question in your letter. It is well for a man to have no intercourse with a woman,
2 Lakini kwa sababu ya majaribu mengi ya zinaa kila mwanaume awe na mkewe, na kila mwanamke awe na mmewe.
but because there is so much immorality let each man have his own wife; and let each women have her own husband.
3 Mume anapaswa kumpa mke haki yake ya ndoa, na vile vile mke naye kwa mmewe.
Let the husband give his wife her due, and likewise the wife her husband. The wife is not mistress of her own person,
4 Si mke aliye na mamlaka juu ya mwili wake, ni mme. Na vile vile, mme naye hana mamlaka juu ya mwili wake, bali mke anayo.
but her husband is; and in the same way the husband is not master of his own person, but his wife is.
5 Msinyimane mnapolala pamoja, isipokuwa mmekubaliana kwa muda maalum. Fanyeni hivyo ili kupata muda wa maombi. Kisha mnaweza kurudiana tena pamoja, Ili kwamba Shetani asije akawajaribu kwa kukosa kiasi.
Do not refuse one another, unless it is only temporary and by mutual consent, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, lest through your lack of self-control Satan begin to tempt you to sin.
6 Lakini nasema haya mambo kwa hiari na si kama amri.
But what I have just said is by way of concession, not command.
7 Natamani kila mmoja angekuwa kama mimi nilivyo. Lakini kila mmoja ana karama yake kutoka kwa Mungu. Huyu ana karama hii, na yule ana karama ile.
I would that every one lived as I do; but each man has his own special gift from God, one this, another that.
8 Kwa wasioolewa na wajane ninasema kwamba, ni vizuri kwao kama wakibaki bila kuolewa, kama nilivyo mimi.
But to the unmarried, and the widows, I say that it is well for them to remain as I am.
9 Lakini kama hawawezi kujizuia, wanapaswa kuolewa. Kwa kuwa heri kwao kuolewa kuliko kuwaka tamaa.
If, however, they are not exercising self-control, by all means let them marry; for marriage is better than the fever of passion.
10 Sasa kwa wale walioolewa nawapa amri, si mimi bali ni Bwana. “Mke asitengane na mme wake.”
But to those already married my commandment is - and not mine, but the Lord’s - that a wife is not to leave her husband;
11 Lakini kama akijitenga kutoka kwa mmewe, abaki hivyo bila kuolewa au vinginevyo apatane na mmewe. Na “Mme asimpe talaka mke wake.”
(or if she has already left him let her either remain as she is, or be reconciled to him), and also that a husband is not to put away his wife.
12 Lakini kwa waliobaki, nasema- mimi, si Bwana- kwamba kama ndugu yeyote ana mke asiyeamini na anaridhika kuishi naye, hapaswi kumwacha.
To the rest it is I who am speaking, not the Lord. If any brother has a wife who is not a believer, if he is willing to live with her, let him not send her away.
13 Kama mwanamke ana mme asiyeamini, na kama anaridhika kuishi naye, asimwache.
And a woman whose husband is not a believer, if he is willing to live with her, let her not separate from him.
14 Kwa mme asiyeamini anatakaswa kwa sababu ya imani ya mkewe. Na mwanamke asiyeamini anatakaswa kwa sababu ya mmewe aaminiye. Vinginevyo watoto wenu wangekuwa si safi, lakini kwa kweli wametakaswa.
For the unbelieving husband is consecrated through union with his believing wife; and the unbelieving wife, through union with her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unholy, but now they are consecrated to God.
15 Lakini mwenzi asiyeamini akiondoka na aende. Kwa namna hiyo, kaka au dada hafungwi na viapo vyao. Mungu ametuita tuishi kwa amani.
But if the unbelieving partner be determined to leave, separation let it be. In such cases the believing husband or wife is not under bondage. But it is into peace that God has called us.
16 Unajuaje kama mwanamke, huenda utamwokoa mmeo? Au unajuaje kama mwanaume, huenda utamwokoa mkeo?
For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
17 Kila mmoja tu aishi maisha kama Bwana alivyowagawia, kila mmoja kama Mungu alivyowaita wao. Huu ni mwongozo wangu kwa makanisa yote.
Only whatever be the lot in life to which God has assigned each one - and whatever the condition in which he was living when God called him- -in that let him continue. Such is the rule I give in all the churches.
18 Yupo aliyekuwa ametahiriwa alipoitwa kuamini? Asijaribu kuondoa alama ya tohara yake. Yupo yeyote aliyeitwa katika imani hajatahiriwa? Hapaswi kutahiriwa.
So, was any man called, being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was any man called when he was uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.
19 Kwa hili aidha ametahiriwa wala asiye tahiriwa hakuna matatizo. Chenye matatizo ni kutii amri za Mungu.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands in everything.
20 Kila mmoja abaki katika wito alivyokuwa alipoitwa na Mungu kuamini.
Whatever be the condition of life in which he was called, in that let him continue.
21 Ulikuwa mtumwa wakati Mungu alipokuita? Usijali kuhusu hiyo. Lakini kama unaweza kuwa huru, fanya hivyo.
Were you called in slavery? Let not that trouble you; but if you can become free make use of the opportunity.
22 Kwa mmoja aliyeitwa na Bwana kama mtumwa ni mtu huru katika Bwana. Kama vile, mmoja aliye huru alipoitwa kuamini ni mtumwa wa Kristo.
For the slave who has been called in the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; and in the same way, the free man who is called is Christ’s slave.
23 Mmekwisha nunuliwa kwa thamani, hivyo msiwe watumwa wa wanadamu.
You have been brought with a price; do not become slaves to men.
24 Kaka na dada zangu, katika maisha yoyote kila mmoja wetu tulipoitwa kuamini, tubaki kama vile.
Where each man stood when he was called, there, brothers, let him stay, close to God.
25 Sasa, wale wote ambao hawajaoa kamwe, sina amri kutoka kwa Bwana. Lakini nawapa maoni yangu kama nilivyo. Kwa huruma za Bwana, zinazo aminika
I have no command from the Lord to give you concerning unmarried women; but I give you my opinion, and it is that of a man who, through the Lord’s mercy, is deserving of your confidence.
26 Kwa hiyo, ninafikiri hivyo kwa sababu ya usumbufu, ni vyema mwanaume abaki kama alivyo.
I think then, that in view of the time of suffering now imminent, it is best for a man to remain as he is.
27 Umefungwa kwa mwanamke na kiapo cha ndoa? Usitake uhuru kutoka kwa hiyo. Una uhuru kutoka kwa mke au hujaolewa? Usitafute mke.
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from the marriage bond? Do not seek for a wife.
28 Lakini kama ukioa, hujafanya dhambi. Na kama mwanamke hajolewa akiolewa, hajafanya dhambi. Bado wale wanaoana wanapata masumbufu ya aina mbalimbali. Nami nataka niwaepushe hayo.
Yet if you do not marry, you have not done wrong; and if a girl marries, she has not done wrong. Such people, however, will have trouble in worldy affairs, and I wish to spare you.
29 Lakini nasema hivi, kaka na dada zangu, muda ni mfupi. Tangu sasa na kuendelea, wale walio na wake waishi kama hawana.
Indeed, brothers, the time that remains to us has been shortened; so let those who have wives live as if they had none,
30 Wote walio na huzuni wajifanye kama walikuwa hawana huzuni, na wote wanaofurahi, kama walikuwa hawafurahi, na wote wanaonunua kitu chochote, kama hawakumiliki chochote.
let those who weep be 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 Na wote wanaoshughulika na ulimwengu, wawe kama hawakushughulika nao. Kwa kuwa mitindo ya dunia inafikia mwisho wake.
and those who use the world as though using it sparingly. For the present phase of the world is passing away.
32 Ninataka muwe huru kwa masumbufu yote. Mwanaume asiyeoa anajihusisha na vitu vinavyo mhusu Bwana, namna ya kumpendeza yeye.
So I want you to be free from all anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the Lord’s business, how he may please the Lord;
33 Lakini mwanaume aliyeoa hujihusisha na mambo ya dunia, namna ya kumpendeza mkewe,
but a married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how he may please his wife, and he is divided in his mind.
34 amegawanyika. Mwanawake asiyeolewa au bikira hujihusisha na vitu kuhusu Bwana, namna ya kujitenga katika mwili na katika roho. Lakini mwanamke aliyeolewa hujihusisha kuhusu vitu dunia, namna ya kumfurahisha mme wake.
Again, the woman who is widow, or the maid, is anxious about the Lord’s business, how she may be pure in body and in mind; but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how she may please her husband.
35 Nasema hivi kwa faida yenu wenyewe, na siweki mtego kwenu. Nasema hivi kwa vile ni haki, ili kwamba mnaweza kujiweka wakfu kwa Bwana bila kikwazo chochote.
It is in your own interest that I say this; not that I may entangle you in a snare, but that I may help you to serve the Lord with fitting and undistracted service.
36 Lakini kama mtu anafikiri hawezi kumtendea kwa heshima mwanawali wake, kwa sababu ya hisia zake zina nguvu sana, acha aoane naye kama apendavyo. Siyo dhambi.
If, however, a father feels that he is not treating his virgin daughter in a seemly manner, in leaving her unmarried beyond the flower of her age, and so the matter is urgent, let him do what she desires; he commits no sin. Let the marriage take place.
37 Lakini kama amefanya maamuzi kutokuoa, na hakuna haja ya lazima, na kama anaweza kutawala hamu yake, atafanya vyema kama hatamwoa.
On the other hand, he who is firm in his purpose and is under no compulsion, but is free to carry out his own wishes, and who has determined to keep his daughter unmarried, does well.
38 Hivyo, anayemwoa mwanamwali wake afanya vyema, na yeyote ambaye anachagua kutooa atafanya vyema zaidi.
So he that gives his daughter in marriage is doing right, and he who keeps her unmarried will be doing right, and he who keeps her unmarried will be doing better.
39 Mwanamke amefungwa na mmewe wakati yu hai. Lakini kama mmewe akifa, yuko huru kuolewa na yeyote ampendaye, lakini katika Bwana tu.
A wife is bound to her husband during his lifetime; but if her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she will, provided it be in the Lord.
40 Bado katika maamuzi yangu, atakuwa na furaha zaidi kama akiishi kama alivyo. Na ninafikiri kuwa nami pia nina Roho wa Mungu.
But she is happier, in my judgment, if she remains as she is; and I think that I, too, have the Spirit of God.
