< 1 Wakorintho 7 >
1 Yahusu sasa mambo yale mliyoandika: naam, ni vizuri kama mtu haoi;
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 hatari ya uzinzi, basi, kila mwanamume na awe na mke wake mwenyewe, na kila mwanamke awe na mume wake mwenyewe.
but because there is so much immorality let each man have his own wife; and let each women have her own husband.
3 Mume atimize wajibu alio nao kwa mkewe, naye mke atimize wajibu alio nao kwa mumewe.
Let the husband give his wife her due, and likewise the wife her husband. The wife is not mistress of her own person,
4 Mke hana mamlaka juu ya mwili wake, bali mumewe anayo; hali kadhalika naye mume, hana mamlaka juu ya mwili wake, bali mkewe 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 haki zenu, isipokuwa kama mnaafikiana kufanya hivyo kwa kitambo tu, ili mpate nafasi nzuri ya kusali. Kisha rudianeni tena mara, ili Shetani asije akawajaribu kwa sababu ya udhaifu wenu.
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 Ninayowaambieni sasa ni mawaidha, si amri.
But what I have just said is by way of concession, not command.
7 Ningependa watu wote wawe kama mimi nilivyo; lakini kila mmoja anacho kipaji chake kutoka kwa Mungu; mmoja kipaji hiki na mwingine kile.
I would that every one lived as I do; but each man has his own special gift from God, one this, another that.
8 Basi, wale ambao hawajaoana na wale walio wajane nawaambia kwamba ni vema kuendelea kuwa kama mimi nilivyo.
But to the unmarried, and the widows, I say that it is well for them to remain as I am.
9 Hata hivyo, kama mtu hawezi kujizuia basi, na aoe; maana ni afadhali zaidi kuoa 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 Kwa wale waliooa ninayo amri, tena si yangu, ila ni ya Bwana: mke asiachane na mumewe;
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 akiachana naye, basi abaki bila kuolewa; ama la, apatanishwe na mume wake. Mume naye asimpe talaka mkewe.
(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 Kwa wale wengine, (mimi binafsi, si Bwana) nasema hivi: Ikiwa mwanamume Mkristo anaye mke asiyeamini, na huyo mwanamke akakubali kuendelea kuishi naye, asimpe talaka.
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 Na, kama mwanamke Mkristo anaye mume asiyeamini, na huyo mwanamume akakubali kuendelea kuishi naye, basi, asimpe talaka mumewe.
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 maana huyo mume asiyeamini hupokelewa kwa Mungu kwa kuungana na mkewe; na huyo mke asiyeamini hupokelewa kwa Mungu kwa kuungana na mumewe. Vinginevyo watoto wao wangekuwa si wa Mungu; kumbe sasa ni watoto wake Mungu.
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 Hata hivyo, ikiwa yule asiyeamini anataka kumwacha mwenzake aliye Mkristo, basi, na amwache tu. Hapo huyo Mkristo, mume au mke, atakuwa huru. Maana Mungu amewaiteni ninyi muishi 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 Wewe mama Mkristo, unawezaje kuwa na hakika kwamba hutaweza kumwokoa mume wako? Au wewe mume Mkristo, unawezaje kuwa na hakika kwamba hutaweza kumwokoa 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 Kwa vyovyote kila mmoja na aishi kufuatana na vipaji alivyogawiwa na Bwana, na kama alivyoitwa na Mungu. Hili ndilo agizo langu 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 Kama mtu aliitwa akiwa ametahiriwa, basi asijisingizie kwamba hakutahiriwa; na kama alipoitwa hakuwa ametahiriwa, basi na asitahiriwe.
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 Maana kutahiriwa au kutotahiriwa si kitu; kilicho muhimu ni kuzishika amri za Mungu.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands in everything.
20 Basi, kila mmoja na abaki kama alivyokuwa wakati alipoitwa.
Whatever be the condition of life in which he was called, in that let him continue.
21 Je, wewe ulikuwa mtumwa wakati ulipoitwa? Sawa, usijali; lakini ukipata fursa ya kuwa huru, itumie.
Were you called in slavery? Let not that trouble you; but if you can become free make use of the opportunity.
22 Maana yeye aliyeitwa na Bwana akiwa mtumwa huyo huwa mtu huru wa Bwana. Hali kadhalika naye aliyeitwa akiwa mtu huru, huwa 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 Nyote mmenunuliwa kwa bei; kwa hiyo msiwe tena watumwa wa watu.
You have been brought with a price; do not become slaves to men.
24 Ndugu zangu, kila mmoja wenu basi, na abaki na Mungu kama alivyokuwa wakati alipoitwa.
Where each man stood when he was called, there, brothers, let him stay, close to God.
25 Sasa, kuhusu mabikira na waseja, sina amri kutoka kwa Bwana; lakini natoa maoni yangu mimi ambaye kwa huruma yake Bwana nastahili kuaminiwa.
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 Basi, kutokana na shida iliyopo sasa nadhani ingefaa mtu 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 Je, umeoa? Basi, usitake kuachana na mkeo. Wewe hukuoa? Basi, usitake kuoa.
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 ikiwa utaoa hutakuwa umetenda dhambi; na msichana akiolewa hatakuwa ametenda dhambi. Hao watakaooana watapatwa na matatizo ya dunia hii, lakini mimi ningependa hayo yasiwapate ninyi.
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 Ndugu, nataka kusema hivi: muda uliobaki ni mfupi. Na tangu sasa wale waliooa na waishi kama vile hawakuoa;
Indeed, brothers, the time that remains to us has been shortened; so let those who have wives live as if they had none,
30 wenye kulia wawe kama hawalii, na wenye kufurahi wawe kama hawafurahi; wanaonunua wawe kama hawana kitu;
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 nao wenye shughuli na dunia hii wawe kama vile hawana shughuli sana nayo. Maana ulimwengu huu, kama tuujuavyo, unapita.
and those who use the world as though using it sparingly. For the present phase of the world is passing away.
32 Ningependa ninyi msiwe na wasiwasi. Mtu asiye na mke hujishughulisha na kazi ya Bwana jinsi atakavyompendeza Bwana.
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 Mtu aliyeoa hujishughulisha na mambo ya dunia jinsi atakavyompendeza mkewe,
but a married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how he may please his wife, and he is divided in his mind.
34 naye amegawanyika. Mwanamke asiyeolewa au bikira hujishughulisha na mambo ya Bwana apate kujitolea mwili na roho kwa Bwana. Lakini mwanamke aliyeolewa hujishughulisha na mambo ya dunia hii jinsi atakavyompendeza mumewe.
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 Nawaambieni haya kwa faida yenu, na si kwa kuwawekeeni kizuio. Nataka tu muwe na mpango unaofaa, mpate kumtumikia Bwana kwa moyo na nia moja.
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 Kama mtu anaona kwamba hamtendei vyema mchumba wake asipomwoa, na kama tamaa zake zinamshinda, na afanye atakavyo; waoane tu; hatakuwa ametenda 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 huyo mwanamume akiamua kwa hiari moyoni mwake kutooa na kama anaweza kuzitawala tamaa zake na kuamua namna ya kufanya, basi, anafanya vizuri zaidi asipomwoa huyo mwenzake bikira.
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 Kwa maneno mengine: yule anayeamua kumwoa huyo mchumba wake anafanya vema; naye anayeamua kutomwoa anafanya vema 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 huwa amefungwa na mumewe kwa muda wote mumewe aishipo. Lakini mumewe akifa, mama huyo yuko huru, na akipenda anaweza kuolewa na mtu yeyote, mradi tu iwe Kikristo.
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 Lakini, nionavyo mimi, atakuwa na heri zaidi kama akibaki hivyo alivyo. Hayo ni maoni yangu, na nafikiri mimi pia ninaye 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.