Questions about Marriage
1 Now I will answer the questions you asked in your letter. You asked, “Is it best for people not to marry?” 2 Well, having your own husband or wife should keep you from doing something immoral. 3 Husbands and wives should be fair with each other about having sex. 4 A wife belongs to her husband instead of to herself, and a husband belongs to his wife instead of to himself. 5 So don't refuse sex to each other, unless you agree not to have sex for a little while, in order to spend time in prayer. Then Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 In my opinion that is what should be done, though I don't know of anything the Lord said about this matter. 7 I wish all of you were like me, but God has given different gifts to each of us.
8 My advice for the unmarried and for widows is that it is acceptable for them to remain single, just as I am. 9 But if you don't have enough self-control, then go ahead and get married. After all, it is better to marry than to burn with desire.
10 I instruct married couples to stay together, and this is exactly what the Lord himself taught. A wife who leaves her husband 11 should either stay single or go back to her husband. And a husband should not leave his wife.
12 I don't know of anything else the Lord said about marriage. All I can do is to give you my own advice. If your wife isn't a follower of the Lord, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce her. 13 If your husband isn't a follower, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce him. 14 Your husband or wife who isn't a follower is made holy by having you as a partner. This also makes your children holy and keeps them from being unclean in God's sight.
15 If your husband or wife isn't a follower of the Lord and decides to divorce you, then you should agree to it. You are no longer bound to that person. After all, God chose you and wants you to live at peace. 16 And besides, how do you know if you will be able to save your husband or wife who isn't a follower?
Obeying the Lord at All Times
17 In every church I tell the people to stay as they were when the Lord Jesus chose them and God called them to be his own. Now I say the same thing to you. 18 If you are already circumcised, don't try to change it. If you are not circumcised, don't get circumcised. 19 Being circumcised or uncircumcised isn't really what matters. The important thing is to obey God's commands. 20 So don't try to change what you were when God chose you. 21 Are you a slave? Don't let that bother you. But if you can win your freedom, you should. 22 When the Lord chooses slaves, they become his free people. And when he chooses free people, they become slaves of Christ. 23 God paid a great price for you. So don't become slaves of anyone else. 24 Stay what you were when God chose you.
Unmarried People
25 I don't know of anything the Lord said about people who have never been married. But I will tell you what I think. And you can trust me, because the Lord has treated me with kindness. 26 We are now going through hard times, and I think it is best for you to stay as you are. 27 If you are married, stay married. If you are not married, don't try to get married. 28 It isn't wrong to marry, even if you have never been married before. But those who marry will have a lot of trouble, and I want to protect you from this.
29 My friends, what I mean is that the Lord will soon come, and it won't matter if you are married or not. 30 It will be all the same if you are crying or laughing, or if you are buying or are completely broke. 31 It won't make any difference how much good you are getting from this world or how much you like it. This world as we know it is now passing away.
32 I want all of you to be free from worry. An unmarried man worries about how to please the Lord. 33 But a married man has more worries. He must worry about the things of this world, because he wants to please his wife. 34 So he is pulled in two directions. Unmarried women and women who have never been married worry only about pleasing the Lord, and they keep their bodies and minds pure. But a married woman worries about the things of this world, because she wants to please her husband. 35 What I am saying is for your own good—it isn't to limit your freedom. I want to help you to live right and to love the Lord above all else.
36 But suppose you are engaged to someone old enough to be married, and you want her so much that all you can think about is getting married. Then go ahead and marry. There is nothing wrong with that. 37 But it is better to have self-control and to make up your mind not to marry. 38 It is perfectly all right to marry, but it is better not to get married at all.
39 A wife should stay married to her husband until he dies. Then she is free to marry again, but only to a man who is a follower of the Lord. 40 However, I think I am obeying God's Spirit when I say she would be happier to stay single.
Futuwo la kuwo ñininkaaroo
1 Saayiŋ m be feŋ safee la ali ye kuwolu to le, ali ye mennu ñininkaa ali la leetaroo kono. A beteyaata kewo to le ko, a kana maa musoo la. 2 Wo ñaa-wo-ñaa, laañooyaa tuluŋo la marisa kuwolu kamma la, kee-wo-kee si a fansuŋ musoo soto, a ye meŋ futuu, aduŋ musu-wo-musu si a fansuŋ kewo soto. 3 Kewo ñanta a futuumusoo la futuwo ñantoolu bee timmandi la le, aduŋ musoo fanaa ñanta wo le ke la. 4 Musoo maŋ kaŋo soto a faŋo balajaatoo kunna, bari a keemaa le ye a soto. Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, kewo fanaa maŋ kaŋo soto a faŋo balajaatoo kunna, bari a la musoo le ye a soto. 5 Ali kana balaŋ ñoo ma futuwo la karoo la, fo niŋ ali kambenta ka waatoo tomboŋ, ali be meŋ kerekere la ka ke duwaa waatoo ti. Bari wo koolaa, ali si muru ñoo kaŋ kotenke, niŋ wo nte Seetaanoo* si ali marisa noo le, kaatu ali lamfuta faŋ maroo la karoo la le. 6 Ŋa ñiŋ fo yaamaroo le kamma, a maŋ ke luwaa ti. 7 Bari hani wo, n hameta le ko, kewolu bee ye baluu ko nte, niŋ a si ke noo. Bari moo-wo-moo ye a fansuŋ soorifeŋo le soto Alla bulu. Kiliŋ ye ñiŋ siifaa soto, doo ye siifaa doo soto.
8 M be a fo la futuubaloolu niŋ furuyaamusoolu ye ko, a be beteyaa la ì to le, niŋ ì maŋ futuu ko nte be ñaameŋ. 9 Bari niŋ wolu te ì faŋolu mara noo la, ì ñanta futuu la le, kaatu a fisiyaata le ka futuu, diina ka tu hameriŋ laañooyaa la doroŋ.
10 Yaamaroo, m be meŋ dii la futuulaalu la, a maŋ ke m fansuŋ kumoo ti, bari Maariyo la kumoo: Musoo maŋ ñaŋ na i bo la a keemaa to. 11 Bari niŋ a ye wo ke, a si tu wo ñaama, waraŋ a ye muru a keemaa kaŋ. Kewo fanaa maŋ ñaŋ na a la musoo bula la.
12 Moo koteŋolu la kuwo to, a maŋ ke Maariyo la kumoo ti, bari nte ko, niŋ lannamoo ye musoo soto, meŋ maŋ ke Yeesu noomalankoo ti, aduŋ wo musoo sonta ka tu a fee, wo to kewo maŋ ñaŋ na a bula la. 13 Aduŋ niŋ musoo fanaa ye kewo soto, meŋ maŋ ke Yeesu noomalankoo ti, aduŋ kewo sonta ka tu a fee, musoo maŋ ñaŋ na a bula la. 14 Kaatu ñiŋ kewo meŋ maŋ ke Yeesu noomalankoo ti, a seneyandita ka bo niŋ a la musoo le la, aduŋ musoo meŋ maŋ ke Yeesu noomalankoo ti, a seneyandita ka bo niŋ a keemaa le la. Niŋ wo nte, ali diŋolu te seneyaa la, bari saayiŋ, ì seneyaata le.
15 Bari niŋ futuuñoo kiliŋo meŋ maŋ ke Yeesu noomalankoo ti, a lafita ka futuwo baŋ, ali si a bula, a ye taa. Niŋ ñiŋ keta, baadinkewo waraŋ baarimmusoo maŋ tara sitiriŋ kotenke. Alla ye ali kumandi ka baluu kayiroo le kono. 16 Musoo, fo ite ye a loŋ ne baŋ, fo i keemaa la kiisoo be suŋ na ite le la? Kewo, fo ite ye a loŋ ne baŋ, fo i la musoo la kiisoo be suŋ na ite le la?
Ali baluuñaa betoo taa Maariyo kono
17 Moo-wo-moo si baluu loodulaa to, Maariyo ye meŋ dii a la, aniŋ a ye meŋ soto waatoo meŋ na, Alla ye a kumandi. Ñiŋ ne ka ke n na yaamaroo ti Yeesu la kafoolu bee ye. 18 Niŋ moo sunnariŋo naata ke Yeesu noomalankoo ti, a kana a faŋo ke sunnabaloo ti kotenke. Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, niŋ sunnabaloo keta Yeesu noomalankoo ti, a kana sunna. 19 Kaatu sunnoo waraŋ sunnabaliyaa maŋ ke feŋ ti, bari meŋ kummaayaata, wo le mu ka Alla la yaamaroolu muta. 20 Moo-wo-moo ñanta tu la loodulaa to le, a be mennu to nuŋ, janniŋ a be ke la Yeesu noomalankoo ti. 21 Niŋ ite mu joŋo le ti nuŋ, biriŋ Alla ye i kumandi, kana wo muta kasi ti. Bari niŋ ite si a ke noo ka i faŋ firiŋ, a ke. 22 Moo meŋ mu joŋo ti, biriŋ Alla ye a kumandi, wo mu Maariyo la moo foroyandiriŋo le ti. Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, meŋ mu foroo ti, biriŋ Alla ye a kumandi, wo maarii mu Kiristu* la joŋo le ti. 23 Alitolu santa daa koleŋo le la. Wo to, ali kana ke moolu la joŋolu ti. 24 Wo to baadiŋolu*, moo-wo-moo ñanta tu la loodulaa to le, Alla ye a kumandi meŋ to.
Futuubaloolu la kuwo ñininkaaroolu
25 Futuubaloolu la kuwo to, nte maŋ yaamaroo soto Maariyo bulu, bari m be n na hakili ñiimaa yitandi la, ŋa meŋ soto ka bo niŋ Maariyo la hiinoo la, fo n na kumoolu si jari moolu ye. 26 Ŋa m miira saayiŋ, bataa kamma la a beteyaata moo fee le ka tara ko a be ñaameŋ. 27 Niŋ musoo be i bulu, kana futuubaŋo ñini. Niŋ i maŋ musoo soto, kana a ñini. 28 Bari niŋ i futuuta, i maŋ junube kuu ke. Aduŋ niŋ sunkutoo naata futuu, a maŋ junube kuu ke. Bari hani wo, mennu be futuu la, ì be bataa soto la ñiŋ baluwo kono le, aduŋ n lafita ali tankandi la wo la le.
29 Baadiŋolu, m be ñiŋ fo la ali ye ko, waatoo sutiyaata le. Wo kamma la, ka bo saayiŋ na, moolu mennu ye musoolu soto, wolu si ke ko ì maŋ ì soto. 30 Mennu ka woosii, wolu si ke ko mennu buka woosii, mennu ka seewoo, wolu si ke ko ì buka seewoo, mennu ka sandiroo ke, wolu si ke ko ì maŋ feŋ soto, 31 aniŋ mennu ka ñiŋ duniyaa feŋolu dookundi, wolu si ke ko ì buka nafaa soto ì to, kaatu ñiŋ duniyaa keñaa be tambi kaŋ ne.
32 N lafita le ali ye tanka bataa kuwolu ma. Kewo meŋ maŋ musoo soto, wo ka tara tuukuriŋ Maariyo la kuwolu le kaŋ, a si Maariyo kontaanindi noo ñaameŋ. 33 Bari musutiyo ka tara duniyaa kuwolu le to, a si a la musoo kontaanindi noo ñaameŋ, 34 a hakiloo ka janjaŋ ne. Musu futuubaloo waraŋ sunkutoo, wo ka tara tuukuriŋ Maariyo la kuwolu le kaŋ, a be seneyaa la balajaatoo niŋ nooroo kono ñaameŋ. Bari musu futuuriŋo, wo ka tara ñaaniriŋ duniyaa kuwolu le la, a si a keemaa kontaanindi noo ñaameŋ. 35 M maŋ tara ñiŋ kuwolu fo kaŋ ali ye ka dunoo laa ali kaŋ, bari n ka ì fo ali ye ali fansuŋ nafaa le kaŋ, fo ali si kuwolu ke, mennu tilinta, aniŋ ali si Maariyo batu hakili tenkuŋo kono.
36 A si ke noo, doo be ali kono, meŋ ye a miira ko, a maŋ ñaŋ na sunkutu mendiŋo futuu la, meŋ be looriŋ a ye. Bari niŋ a hameta sunkutoo ñiŋ na fo a maŋ a faŋ muta noo, a si a futuu. Wo maŋ ke junuboo ti, ì ñanta futuu la ñoo ye le. 37 Bari moo-wo-moo meŋ ye a muta bambandinke a sondomoo kono ko, a te maa la sunkutoo la, meŋ be looriŋ a ye, wo la hame kuwolu te semboo soto noo la a kaŋ, ate te meŋ mara noo la, wo maarii ka kuu betoo le ke. 38 Wo to, moo meŋ ye sunkutoo futuu, wo maarii ye kuu betoo le ke, bari meŋ si fata noo futuwo ma, wo maarii ye kuu bete baa le ke.
39 Musoo maŋ ñaŋ na i bo la a keemaa to, a be baluuriŋ waatoo meŋ na. Bari niŋ wo faata, a si futuu noo kee-wo-kee ye le, a lafita meŋ na, bari wo maarii ñanta ke la Yeesu noomalankoo le ti. 40 Bari n na miiroo to, a be kontaanoo soto la baake le, niŋ a maŋ futuu kotenke. Ŋa a miira le ko, nte fanaa ye Alla la Nooroo soto le.
