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

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

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.

Mas por evitar las fornicaciones, cada uno tenga su mujer, y cada una tenga su marido.

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

El marido pague a la mujer la debida benevolencia; y asimismo la mujer al marido.

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.

La 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.

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.

No 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.

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

Mas esto digo por permiso, no por mandamiento.

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

Quisiera 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Porque 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.

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.

Pero 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.

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

Porque ¿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?

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.

¶ 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.

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.

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

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

La circuncisión nada es, y la incircuncisión nada es; sino la observancia de los mandamientos de Dios.

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

Cada uno en la vocación en que fue llamado, en ella se quede.

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.

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

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.

Porque 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.

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

Por precio sois comprados; no os hagáis siervos de los hombres.

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

Cada uno, hermanos, en lo que fue llamado, en esto se quede para con Dios.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

Mas 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.

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.

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

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.

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;

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

Hay 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.

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.

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

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.

¶ 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.

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.

Pero 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.

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

Así que, el que la da en casamiento, bien hace; y el que no la da en casamiento, hace mejor.

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.

¶ 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.

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.

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