1 Bakolinto 7
1 Lino ndakumbulunga makani ngomwalanjipusha mukalata yenu. Ee, caina mutuloba kubula kweba.
With reference to the subjects about which you wrote to me: It is good for a man to remain single.
2 Nomba pacebo cakufula kwabupombo, anu mutuloba uliyense abe ne mukashendi enka, nendi mutukashi abe nemulume wakendi enka.
But, owing to the prevalence of immorality, I advise every man to have his own wife, and every woman her husband.
3 Mutuloba akwanilishe ncito njabela mutuloba mung'anda, nendi mutukashi akwanilishe ncito njabela mutukashi mung'anda.
A husband should give his wife her due, and a wife her husband.
4 Mukashi liya ngofu pamubili wakendi sobwe, nsombi mulume eukute ngofu. Nendi mulume liya ngofu pamubili wakendi sobwe, nsombi mukashendi eukute ngofu.
It is not the wife, but the husband, who exercises power over her body; and so, too, it is not the husband, but the wife, who exercises power over his body.
5 Kamutakanishanga mibili yenu mung'anda. Ee ngacibeco namunyumfwana kwinseco kwa kacindi kang'ana, kwambeti mushe mano kukupaila. Panyuma pakendi ingamupitilisha kuyabilana mibili kwambeti Satana katamwelekeshani pacebo cakutekata myoyo kwenu.
Do not deprive each other of what is due – unless it is only for a time and by mutual consent, so that your minds may be free for prayer until you again live as man and wife – otherwise Satan might take advantage of your want of self-control and tempt you.
6 Ncendambanga nikumusuminishowa, nteko kumutinga panshingo sobwe.
I say this, however, as a concession, not as a command.
7 Ninganyanda kwambeti bantu bonse nshinga nibalyeti njame, nomba Lesa walapa muntu uliyense cipo cakendi, naumbi cipo camushobo uyu, kayi naumbi cipo camushobo usa.
I should wish everyone to be just what I am myself. But everyone has his own gift from God – one in one way, and one in another.
8 Lino kuli babula kweba ne bamukalubingi, ndambanga ndeti bapitilishe kwikala bonka mbuli ame ncondekalanga.
My advice, then, to those who are not married, and to widows, is this: It would be good for them to remain as I am myself.
9 Nomba nankabela kucikonsha kulukanisha lunkumbwa lwabo, anu kabebani pakwinga caina kweba kupita kupenga nelunkumbwa.
But, if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be consumed with passion.
10 Kuli bantu bebana, mulawo ngondamupanga wabula kuba wakame nsombi ulafumunga ku Mwami nuwu, mukashi kataleka mulume.
To those who are married my direction is – yet it is not mine, but the Master’s – that a woman is not to leave her husband
11 Na umuleka mulume, kekalani mushike mpani ngaubweshana nemulume. Neye mulume kataleka mukashendi.
(If she has done so, she should remain as she is, or else be reconciled to her husband) and also that a man is not to divorce his wife.
12 Kuli nabambi nteye Mwami lambanga nsombi njame. Muklistu weba mukashi wakunsa, nomba namukashi usumina kupitilisha kwikala nemulume, mulume katamuleka mukashendi.
To all others I say – I, not the Master – If a follower of the Lord is married to a woman, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with him, he should not divorce her;
13 Cimocimo mukashi muklistu webwa kumulume wakunsa, nomba uyo mulume usumina kupitilisha kwikala ne mukashendi, mukashi katamuleka mulume.
and a woman who is married to a man, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with her, should not divorce her husband.
14 Pakwinga mulume wakunsa ukute kuba waswepa kuli Lesa cebo ca mukashendi Muklistu. Nendi mukashi wakunsa ukute kuba waswepa cebo camulume Muklistu. Necalabula kubeco, nshinga bana benu nebabula kuba baswepa, nomba lino mbuli ncocibele, bana benu bakute kuba baswepa.
For, through his wife, the husband who is an unbeliever has become associated with Christ’s people; and the wife who is an unbeliever has become associated with Christ’s people through the Lord’s follower whom she has married. Otherwise your children would be “defiled,” but, as it is, they belong to Christ’s people.
15 Nomba nawakunsa layanda kuleka muklistu, amuleke. Palico muklistu mutuloba nambi mutukashi wasunguluka. Lesa walamukuwa kwambeti mwikale ne buyumi bwa lumuno.
However, if the unbeliever wishes to be separated, let them be so. Under such circumstances neither is bound; God has called you to live in peace.
16 Obe mukashi muklistu ucinshi econi kwambeti nukamupulushe mulume? Nenjobe mulume muklistu ucinshi econi kwambeti nukamupulushe mukashobe?
How can you tell, wife, whether you may not save your husband? And how can you tell, husband, whether you may not save your wife?
17 Nikukabeco lekani uliyense ekale mubwikalo mbwalapewa ne Mwami Yesu, mbuli ncomwalikuba Lesa mpwalamukuwa. Iyi emilawo njonkute kwiyisha mumibungano yonse.
In any case, a person should continue to live in the condition which the Lord has allotted to them, and in which they were when God called them. This is the rule that I lay down in every church.
18 Namuntu lakwiwa ne Lesa kaliwapalulwa kendi, katasoleka kubeti nkapalulwa. Nicimocimo namuntu nkali kuba wapalulwa pacindi Lesa mpwalamukuwa katapalulwa sobwe.
Was a man already circumcised when he was called? Then he should not efface his circumcision. Has a man been called when uncircumcised? Then he should not be circumcised.
19 Nambi muntu wapalulwa nambi wabula kupalulwa paliya cilipo sobwe. Nsombi cilayandikinga ni kunyumfwila Milawo ya Lesa.
Circumcision is nothing; the want of it is nothing; but to keep the commands of God is everything.
20 Muntu uliyense apitilishe kwikala mbuli ncalikuba cindi ncalakwiwa ne Lesa.
Let everyone remain in that condition of life in which they were when the call came to them.
21 Sena mwalikuba basha cindi ncalamukuwa Lesa? Kamutapenga! Nomba na mukuteko colwe ca kusunguluka sebenseshani colwe cilico.
Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that trouble you. No, even if you are able to gain your freedom, still do your best.
22 Pakwinga muntu walikuba musha cindi Mwami ncalamukuwa, muntuyo kuli Mwami wasunguluka. Cimocimo uyo walikuba wasunguluka cindi Mwami ncalamukuwa nimusha wakendi Klistu.
For the person who was a slave when they were called to the master’s service is the Master’s freedman; so, too, the person who was free when called is Christ’s slave.
23 Lesa walamuula ne mulo wapelu, neco kamutabanga basha babantu.
You were bought, and the price was paid. Do not let yourselves become slaves to people.
24 Mobanse uliyense apitilishe kwikala pamenso pa Lesa kwelana mbuli ncalikuba cindi ncalamukuwa Lesa.
Friends, let everyone remain in the condition in which they were when they were called, in close communion with God.
25 Lino kwamba pa makani abatana beba ne kwebwa ngomwalalemba, ndiya mulawo wa Mwami sobwe. Nsombi ndamwambilinga kwelana ne kuyeya kwakame pakuba muntu washomeka muluse lwa Mwami.
With regard to unmarried women, I have no command from the Master to give you, but I tell you my opinion, and the Master in his mercy has made me worthy to be trusted.
26 Pakuyeya shamakatasho alipepi kwinshika, ndayeyengeti caina muntu apitilishe kwikala mbuli ncabele.
I think, then, that, in view of the time of suffering that has now come upon us, what I have already said is best – that a man should remain as he is.
27 Sena ukute mukashi? Kotelekesha kumuleka. Sena njobe nkungulume? Kotelekesha kweba.
Are you married to a wife? Then do not seek to be separated. Are you separated from a wife? Then do not seek for a wife.
28 Nomba na uyanda kweba paliya kwipisha kulipo sobwe. Kayi namulindu uyanda kwebwa neye paliya kwipisha kulipo sobwe. Nomba bantu bali mucikwati nibakacane mapensho mubuyumi bwabo, neco ndayandangeti kamutakacana mapensho alico.
Still, if you should marry, that is not wrong; nor, if a young woman marries, is that wrong. But those who marry will have much trouble to bear, and my wish is to spare you.
29 Ncondamwambilinga mobanse nicakwambeti, cindi cilashala nicifupi. Neco kufuma cindi cino batuloba bali mucikwati babeti nkabeba,
What I mean, friends, is this – the time is short. Meanwhile, let those who have wives live as if they had none,
30 kayi abo balalilinga babeti nkabalalilinga, kayi abo balakondwanga babeti nkabalakondwanga, kayi abo balaulunga bintu bekaleti baliya bintu mbyobalaula,
those who are weeping as if not weeping, those who are rejoicing as if not rejoicing, those who buy as if not possessing,
31 abo balasebenseshenga bintu byapacishi pano, kabatabika myoyo yabo mubintu ibyo. Pakwinga cishi cino capanshi mbuli ncocilabonekenga nteti cikale cindi citali sobwe.
and those who use the good things of the world as using them sparingly; for this world as we see it is passing away.
32 Lino ndayandishishinga kwambeti mube basunguluka kubishi kuyakamwisha. Nkungulume ukute kusha mano kubintu bya Mwami, pakwinga lelekeshenga kumukondwelesha Mwami.
I want you to be free from anxiety. The unmarried man is anxious about the Master’s cause, desiring to please him;
33 Nomba mutuloba ukute mukashi ukute kusha mano kubintu byapacishi capanshi pano kuyeya cakumwinshila mukashendi kwambeti abe wakondwa.
while the married man is anxious about worldly matters, desiring to please his wife;
34 Neco ukute kaliwekata pabili. Kayi nendi mutukashi wabula kwebwa nambi mulindu nendi ukute kaliwasha mano kubintu bya Mwami, pakwinga ukute kuyanda kulibenga kumubili ne kumushimu. Nomba mukashi webwa ukute kusha mano kubintu bya pano pacishi kuyeya ncelela kumwinshila mulume kwambeti abenga wakondwa.
and so his interests are divided. Again, the unmarried woman, whether she is old or young, is anxious about the Master’s cause, striving to be pure both in body and in spirit, while the married woman is anxious about worldly matters, desiring to please her husband.
35 Ndambangeco kuyanda kumunyamfwa, nteko kumucalila byakwinsa sobwe. Ncondayandanga nikwambeti mwinsenga bintu byonse mwalumbuluka, kwambeti mulibengenga cakupwililila pakusebensela Mwami.
I say this for your own benefit, not with any intention of putting a halter round your necks, but in order to secure for the Master seemly and constant devotion, free from all distraction.
36 Na naumbi uyeyeti nkalenshinga cintu caina pakukanisha mwanendi mulindu kwebwa kumutuloba wa mumamikila, kayi uboneti mwanendi lapiti pamushimba wakwebwa, mulekeni ense ncalayeyenga, liya kwipisha sobwe, ngabebana.
If, however, a father thinks that he is not acting fairly by his unmarried daughter, when she is past her youth, and if under these circumstances her marriage ought to take place, he should act as he thinks right. He is doing nothing wrong – let the marriage take place.
37 Nomba na mutuloba uyeya mwine kwakubula kumukakatisha, kayi na miyeyo yakendi ifuma panshi pamoyo wakendi kwambeti nkasuni kumweba mulinduyu, kayi na ngacikonsha kwikata moyo wakendi, muntuyu neye lenshi cena.
On the other hand, a father, who has definitely made up his mind, and is under no compulsion, but is free to carry out his own wishes, and who has come to the decision, in his own mind, to keep his unmarried daughter at home will be doing right.
38 Neco mutuloba lebe mulindu ngwalikuba wamamikila lenshi cena, nomba neye utasuni kweba lenshi cena kupitapo.
In short, the one who consents to his daughter’s marriage is doing right, and yet the other will be doing better.
39 Mukashi wasungwa ku mulawo wacikwati mulume acibanga muyumi. Na mulume uluma bulongo, mukashi wasunguluka kwebwa ku mutuloba uliyense lamukondo, nomba uyo mutuloba wela kuba muklistu.
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but, if the husband should pass to his rest, the widow is free to marry anyone she wishes, provided he is a believer.
40 Kuyeya kwakame nikwambeti ngawikala cena kupitapo naubula kwebwa. Ndayeyenga kwambeti nenjame nkute Mushimu wa Lesa.
Yet she will be happier if she remains as she is – in my opinion, for I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
