1 ¶ En cuanto a las cosas de que me escribisteis, bien es al hombre no tocar mujer.

Now as to the matters of which you wrote me. It is well for a man not to touch a woman but to remain unmarried.

2 M as por evitar las fornicaciones, cada uno tenga su mujer, y cada una tenga su marido.

But because of the temptation to impurity and to avoid immorality, let each have his own wife and let each have her own husband.

3 E l marido pague a la mujer la debida benevolencia; y asimismo la mujer al marido.

The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights (goodwill, kindness, and what is due her as his wife), and likewise the wife to her husband.

4 L a mujer no tiene potestad de su propio cuerpo, sino el marido; e igualmente tampoco el marido tiene potestad de su propio cuerpo, sino la mujer.

For the wife does not have authority and control over her own body, but the husband; likewise also the husband does not have authority and control over his body, but the wife.

5 N o os defraudéis el uno al otro, a no ser por algún tiempo de mutuo consentimiento, para ocuparos en ayuno y oración; y volved a juntaros en uno, para que no os tiente Satanás a causa de vuestra incontinencia.

Do not refuse and deprive and defraud each other, except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves unhindered to prayer. But afterwards resume marital relations, lest Satan tempt you through your lack of restraint of sexual desire.

6 M as esto digo por permiso, no por mandamiento.

But I am saying this more as a matter of permission and concession, not as a command or regulation.

7 Q uisiera más bien que todos los hombres fueran como yo; pero cada uno tiene su propio don de Dios; uno a la verdad así, y otro así.

I wish that all men were like I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another.

8 D igo, pues, a los por casar y a los viudos, que bueno les es si se quedaren como yo.

But to the unmarried people and to the widows, I declare that it is well (good, advantageous, expedient, and wholesome) for them to remain even as I do.

9 Y si no tienen don de continencia, cásense; que mejor es casarse que quemarse.

But if they have not self-control (restraint of their passions), they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame.

10 ¶ Mas a los que están juntos en matrimonio, denuncio, no yo, sino el Señor; Que la mujer no se aparte del marido;

But to the married people I give charge—not I but the Lord—that the wife is not to separate from her husband.

11 y si se apartare, que se quede sin casar, o reconcíliese con su marido; y que el marido no despida a su mujer.

But if she does, let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband. And the husband that he should not put away or divorce his wife.

12 Y a los demás yo digo, no el Señor: si algún hermano tiene mujer incrédula, y ella consiente para habitar con él, no la despida.

To the rest I declare—I, not the Lord —that if any brother has a wife who does not believe and she consents to live with him, he should not leave or divorce her.

13 Y la mujer que tiene marido incrédulo, y él consiente para habitar con ella, no lo deje.

And if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she should not leave or divorce him.

14 P orque el marido incrédulo es santificado en la mujer (fiel), y la mujer incrédula en el marido (fiel); de otra manera ciertamente vuestros hijos serían inmundos; pero ahora son santos.

For the unbelieving husband is set apart (separated, withdrawn from heathen contamination, and affiliated with the Christian people) by union with his consecrated (set-apart) wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart and separated through union with her consecrated husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean (unblessed heathen, outside the Christian covenant), but as it is they are prepared for God.

15 P ero si el incrédulo se aparta, apartese; que el hermano o la hermana no está sujeto a servidumbre en semejante caso; antes a paz nos llamó Dios.

But if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him do so; in such brother or sister is not morally bound. But God has called us to peace.

16 P orque ¿de dónde sabes, oh mujer, si quizá harás salvo a tu marido? ¿O de dónde sabes, oh marido, si quizá harás salva a tu mujer?

For, wife, how can you be sure of converting and saving your husband? Husband, how can you be sure of converting and saving your wife?

17 ¶ Sino que cada uno como el Señor le repartió, y como Dios llamó a cada uno, así ande; y así ordeno en todas las Iglesias.

Only, let each one lead the life which the Lord has allotted and imparted to him and to which God has invited and summoned him. This is my order in all the churches.

18 ¿ Es llamado alguno circuncidado? Quédese circunciso. ¿Es llamado alguno incircuncidado? Que no se circuncide.

Was anyone at the time of his summons already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the evidence of circumcision. Was anyone at the time called him uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.

19 L a circuncisión nada es, y la incircuncisión nada es; sino la observancia de los mandamientos de Dios.

For circumcision is nothing and counts for nothing, neither does uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.

20 C ada uno en la vocación en que fue llamado, en ella se quede.

Everyone should remain after God calls him in the station or condition of life in which the summons found him.

21 ¿ Eres llamado siendo siervo? No te dé cuidado; mas también si puedes hacerte libre, procúralo más.

Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that trouble you. But if you are able to gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.

22 P orque el que en el Señor es llamado siendo siervo, liberto es del Señor; asimismo también el que es llamado siendo libre, siervo es del Cristo.

For he who as a slave was summoned in the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, just so he who was free when he was called is a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).

23 P or precio sois comprados; no os hagáis siervos de los hombres.

You were bought with a price; then do not yield yourselves up to become slaves to men.

24 C ada uno, hermanos, en lo que fue llamado, en esto se quede para con Dios.

So, brethren, in whatever station or state or condition of life each one was when he was called, there let him continue with and close to God.

25 ¶ Pero de las vírgenes no tengo mandamiento del Señor; mas doy mi parecer, como hombre que ha alcanzado misericordia del Señor para ser fiel.

Now concerning the virgins (the marriageable maidens) I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion and advice as one who by the Lord’s mercy is rendered trustworthy and faithful.

26 T engo, pues, esto por bueno a causa de la necesidad que apremia, por lo cual bueno es al hombre estarse así:

I think then, because of the impending distress, it is well (expedient, profitable, and wholesome) for a person to remain as he or she is.

27 ¿ Estás ligado a mujer? No procures soltarte. ¿Estáis suelto de mujer? No procures mujer.

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

28 M as también si tomares mujer, no pecaste; y si la virgen se casare, no peca; pero aflicción de carne tendrán los tales; mas yo os dejo.

But if you do marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will have physical and earthly troubles, and I would like to spare you that.

29 P ero esto digo, hermanos, que el tiempo es corto; para los demás es, que los que tienen mujer sean como los que no la tienen,

I mean, brethren, the appointed time has been winding down and it has grown very short. From now on, let even those who have wives be as if they had none,

30 y los que lloran, como los que no lloran; y los que se regocijan, como los que no se regocijan; y los que compran, como los que no poseen;

And those who weep and mourn as though they were not weeping and mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not possess anything,

31 y los que usan de este mundo, como los que no lo usan como si fuera propio; porque la apariencia de este mundo se pasa.

And those who deal with this world '> overusing the enjoyments of this life] as though they were not absorbed by it and as if they had no dealings with it. For the outward form of this world (the present world order) is passing away.

32 Q uisiera, pues, que estuvierais sin congoja. El soltero tiene cuidado de las cosas que son del Señor, cómo ha de agradar al Señor;

My desire is to have you free from all anxiety and distressing care. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord;

33 p ero el que se casó tiene cuidado de las cosas que son del mundo, cómo ha de agradar a su mujer.

But the married man is anxious about worldly matters—how he may please his wife—

34 H ay diferencia entre la mujer casada y la virgen, La mujer no casada tiene cuidado de las cosas del Señor, para ser santa así en el cuerpo como en el espíritu; mas la casada tiene cuidado de las cosas que son del mundo, cómo ha de agradar a su marido.

And he is drawn in diverging directions. And the unmarried woman or girl is concerned and anxious about the matters of the Lord, how to be wholly separated and set apart in body and spirit; but the married woman has her cares in earthly affairs—how she may please her husband.

35 E sto, sin embargo, digo para vuestro provecho; no para echaros lazo, sino para lo honorable, y para que sin impedimento os sirváis al Señor.

Now I say this for your own welfare and profit, not to put restraint upon you, but to promote what is seemly and in good order and to secure your undistracted and undivided devotion to the Lord.

36 ¶ Mas, si a alguno parece cosa fea en su hija, que pase ya de edad, y que así conviene que se haga, haga lo que quisiere, no peca; cásese.

But if any man thinks that he is not acting properly toward and in regard to his virgin, in case she is passing the bloom of her youth and if there is need for it, let him do what to him seems right; he does not sin; let them marry.

37 P ero el que está firme en su corazón, y no tiene necesidad, sino que tiene libertad de su voluntad, y determinó en su corazón esto, el guardar su hija, bien hace.

But whoever is firmly established in his heart, not being forced by necessity but having control over his own will and desire, and has resolved this in his heart to keep his own virginity, he is doing well.

38 A sí que, el que la da en casamiento, bien hace; y el que no la da en casamiento, hace mejor.

So also then, he who gives his virgin (his daughter) in marriage does well, and he who does not give in marriage does better.

39 ¶ La mujer casada está atada a la ley, mientras vive su marido; mas si su marido muriere, libre es; cásese con quien quisiere, con tal que sea en el Señor.

A wife is bound to her husband by law as long as he lives. If the husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord.

40 P ero más bienaventurada será si se quedare así, según mi consejo; y pienso que también yo tengo el Espíritu de Dios.

But in my opinion is happier (more blessed and to be envied) if she does not remarry. And also I think I have the Spirit of God.