1 Y ou asked me some questions in your letter. This is my answer. It is good if a man does not get married.

Na mo nga mea i tuhituhi mai na koutou: he mea pai ano mo te tangata kia kaua e pa ki te wahine.

2 B ut because of being tempted to sex sins, each man should get married and have his own wife. Each woman should get married and have her own husband.

Otiia, he whakaaro kei moepuku, kia rite ma te tane he wahine mana ake, a ma te wahine he tane mana ake.

3 T he husband should please his wife as a husband. The wife should please her husband as a wife.

Kia puta te whakaaro pai o te tane ki te wahine, hei te mea e tika ana: me to te wahine hoki ki te tane.

4 T he wife is not the boss of her own body. It belongs to the husband. And in the same way, the husband is not the boss of his own body. It belongs to the wife.

Ehara te wahine i te rangatira o tona tinana ake, engari te tane: me te tane ano, ehara ia i te rangatira o tona ake tinana, engari te wahine.

5 D o not keep from each other that which belongs to each other in marriage unless you agree for awhile so you can use your time to pray. Then come together again or the devil will tempt you to do that which you know you should not do.

Kaua e kaiponu tetahi i tetahi; haunga ia ki te ata whakaritea mo tetahi wa, kia atea ai korua ki te nohopuku, ki te inoi, ka hoki ai ano ki a korua, kei ai to korua hiahia taikaha hei whakawai ma Hatana i a korua.

6 T his is what I think. I am not saying you must do it.

Otira ko tenei korero aku he mea whakaae noa, ehara i te tikanga whakatakoto.

7 I wish everyone were as I am, but each has his own gift from God. One has one gift. Another has another gift.

Ko taku ia i pai ai, kia penei nga tangata katoa i ahau nei. Otira e homai ana e te Atua te ahua mona ki ia tangata, ki ia tangata, ki tetahi ko tenei, ki tetahi ko tera.

8 T his is what I say to those who are not married and to women whose husbands have died. It is good if you do not get married. I am not married.

Ko taku kupu ia tenei ki nga takakau, ki nga wahine pouaru, He mea pai mo ratou kia kati tonu me ahau nei.

9 B ut if you are not able to keep from doing that which you know is wrong, get married. It is better to get married than to have such strong sex desires.

Otira ki te kore e taea e raua te whakamanawanui, me marena: he pai ake hoki te marena i te kaka o te ngakau.

10 I have this to say to those who are married. These words are from the Lord. A wife should not leave her husband,

Ko taku whakahau ia tenei ki te hunga whai hoa, ehara i ahau, engari ko te Ariki, Aua te wahine e mawehe ke i tana tane:

11 b ut if she does leave him, she should not get married to another man. It would be better for her to go back to her husband. The husband should not divorce his wife.

Engari, ki te mawehe ia, me noho hoakore, me hohou ranei te rongo ki tana tane: kaua hoki te tane e whakarere i tana wahine.

12 I have this to say. These words are not from the Lord. If a Christian husband has a wife who is not a Christian, and she wants to live with him, he must not divorce her.

Ki era atu ia ko taku kupu tenei, ehara i te Ariki: Ki te mea he wahine kore whakapono ta tetahi o nga teina, a ka whakaae taua wahine kia noho tahi raua, kaua ia e whakarerea e ia.

13 I f a Christian wife has a husband who is not a Christian, and he wants to live with her, she must not divorce him.

A ko te wahine, he tane kore whakapono tana, a ka whakaae kia noho tahi raua, kaua ia e whakarere i tana tane.

14 T he husband who is not a Christian is set apart from the sin of the world because of his Christian wife. The wife who is not a Christian is set apart from the sin of the world because of her Christian husband. In this way, the lives of the children are not unclean because of sin, they are clean.

No te mea e whakatapua ana te tane whakaponokore e te wahine, e whakatapua ana hoki te wahine whakaponokore e te tane: me he kahore, kua poke a korua tamariki, tena ko tenei he tapu ratou.

15 I f the one who is not a Christian wants to leave, let that one go. The Christian husband or wife should not try to make the other one stay. God wants you to live in peace.

Ki te mawehe ke ia te whakaponokore, mana e mawehe ke. E kore tetahi teina, tuahine ranei, e mau te here e nga mea pena: otira kua karangatia tatou e te Atua ki te rangimarie.

16 C hristian wife, how do you know you will not help your husband to become a Christian? Or Christian husband, how do you know you will not help your wife to become a Christian? Stay as You Were When God Chose You

Ma te aha koe e mohio ai, e tai, ka ora ranei i a koe tau tane? a koe ranei, e te tane, ma te aha ka mohio ai, ka ora i a koe tau wahine?

17 E veryone should live the life the Lord gave to him. He should live as he was when he became a Christian. This is what I teach in all the churches.

Heoi anake, kia rite ki ta te Atua tuwahanga ki tena, ki tena, ki tana karangatanga hoki ki tena, ki tena, kia pera tana haere. Na ko taku whakatakoto tena i roto i nga hahi katoa.

18 I f a man became a Christian after he had gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew, he should do nothing about it. If a man became a Christian before, he should not go through the religious act of becoming a Jew.

He mea kokoti tetahi i tona karangatanga? kaua e whakakahoretia tona kotinga. He mea kokotikore tetahi i tona karangatanga? kaua a e kotia.

19 I f it is done or not done, it means nothing. What is important is to obey God’s Word.

He mea kore noa iho te kotinga, he mea kore noa iho ano te kotingakore, engari ia te pupuri i a te Atua ture.

20 E veryone should stay the same way he was when he became a Christian.

Kia mau ia tangata ki tona karangatanga, i karangatia ai ia.

21 W ere you a servant who was owned by someone when you became a Christian? Do not worry about it. But if you are able to become free, do that.

He pononga koe i tou karangatanga? kaua e manukanuka: otira ki te watea he haerenga noatanga atu mou, e pena.

22 A servant who is owned by someone and who has become a Christian is the Lord’s free man. A free man who has become a Christian is a servant owned by Christ.

Ko te tangata hoki he pononga i tona karangatanga i roto i te Ariki, he tangata tuku noa ia na te Ariki: waihoki ko te tangata ehara nei i te pononga i tona karangatanga, he pononga ia na te Karaiti.

23 H e paid a great price for you when He bought you. Do not let yourselves become servants owned by men.

Kua oti koutou te hoko ki te utu; aua e meinga hei pononga koutou ma te tangata.

24 C hristian brothers, each one should stay as he was when he became a Christian.

E oku teina, ko te mahi a tenei, a tenei, i tona karangatanga kia mau ia ki tena me te whakaaro ano ki te Atua.

25 I have no word from the Lord about women or men who have never been married. I will tell you what I think. You can trust me because the Lord has given me His loving-kindness.

Na mo nga wahine, kahore a te Ariki tikanga ki ahau; tenei ia toku whakaaro, ara to te tangata i a ia nei to te Ariki atawhai, i pono ai.

26 I think, because of the troubles that are coming, it is a good thing for a person not to get married.

Na reira ki toku whakaaro he pai tenei mo te whakararu o tenei wa, ara he pai kia kati tonu te tangata i a ia nei.

27 A re you married to a wife? Do not try to get a divorce. If you are not married, do not look for a wife.

Kua herea koe ki te wahine? kaua e whai kia wetekia. Ka oti koe te wewete i te wahine? kaua e whaia he wahine.

28 I f you do get married, you have not sinned. If a woman who is not married gets married, it is no sin. But being married will add problems. I would like to have you free from such problems.

Otiia ki te marena koe, kahore ou hara; a ki te marena te wahine, kahore ona hara. Otiia tera e pa mai he whakararu i te kikokiko ki taua hunga pena: heoi me ata hanga ahau ki a koutou.

29 I mean this, Christian brothers. The time is short. A married man should use his time as if he did not have a wife.

Ko taku kupu ia tenei, e oku teina, e tutata ana te wa: heoi inaianei tera e rite te hunga whai wahine ki te hunga kahore nei a ratou;

30 T hose who have sorrow should keep on working as if they had no sorrow. Those who have joy should keep on working as if there was no time for joy. Those who buy should have no time to get joy from what they have.

Me te hunga e tangi ana, ano kahore ratou i te tangi; me te hunga e hari ana, ano kahore ratou i te hari; me te hunga e hoko ana, ano kahore a ratou taonga;

31 W hile you live in this world, live as if the world has no hold on you. The way of this world will soon be gone.

Me te hunga i a ratou tenei ao, ano kahore a ratou he ki te ao; e memeha haere ana hoki te ahua o tenei ao.

32 I want you to be free from the cares of this world. The man who is not married can spend his time working for the Lord and pleasing Him.

Otiia ko taku mea tenei kia kaua koutou e manukanuka. Ko ta te takakau e manukanuka ai ko nga mea a te Ariki, me pehea tana whakamanawareka ki te Ariki:

33 T he man who is married cares for the things of the world. He wants to please his wife.

Ko te tangata whai hoa ia, e manukanuka ana ki nga mea o te ao, me pehea tana whakamanawareka ki tana wahine.

34 M arried women and women who have never been married are different. The woman who has never been married can spend her time working for the Lord. She wants to please the Lord with her body and spirit. The woman who is married cares for the things of the world. She wants to please her husband.

Na tera ano te mea i rereke ai te wahine whai hoa i te wahine. Ko te wahine takakau, tana e manukanuka ai ko nga mea a te Ariki, kia tapu tahi ai te tinana me te wairua: ko te wahine whai hoa ia ka manukanuka ki nga mea o te ao, me pehea tana wh akamanawareka ki tana tane.

35 I am saying these things to help you. I am not trying to keep you from getting married. I want you to do what is best. You should work for Him without other things taking your time.

Ko tenei korero aku he mea kia hua ai he pai mo koutou ano; ehara i te mea kia mahangatia ai koutou, engari mo te mea e haratau ana, kia u ai koutou ki te Ariki, kahore he mea hei rorona ke.

36 I f a man and woman expect to get married, and he thinks his desires to marry her are getting too strong, and she is getting older, they should get married. It is no sin.

Na, ki te whakaaro tetahi tangata e he ana tana tikanga ki tana wahine, mehemea kua pahure tona taiohinga, a heoi ano tikanga, mana e mea tana e pai ai, kahore ona hara: me marena raua.

37 B ut if a man has the power to keep from getting married and knows in his mind that he should not, he is wise if he does not get married.

Ko te tangata ia e u ana i tona ngakau, a kahore he mea hei akiaki i a ia, kei a ia ake ano te tikanga mo tana e pai ai, a kua oti tenei te whakatakoto e tona ngakau, kia waiho tana wahine, kei te pai tana mahi.

38 T he man who gets married does well, but the man who does not get married does better.

Na he pai te mahi a te tangata e tuku ana kia marenatia tana wahine; pai ake ia te mahi a te tangata kahore e tuku kia marenatia.

39 A wife is not free as long as her husband lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wants, if he is a Christian.

E herea ana te wahine e te ture i te mea e ora ana tana tane; ki te mate ia te tane, kua watea ia ki te marena ki tana e pai ai; otira i roto i te Ariki.

40 I think she will be much more happy if she does not get married again. This is what I think. I believe it is what the Holy Spirit is saying.

Ki toku whakaaro ia, nui ke atu tona hari ki te kati tonu ia: a ki taku mahara kei ahau ano hoki te Wairua o te Atua.