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 escribieron, bueno es para el 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.

No obstante, por razón de las inmoralidades, que cada uno tenga su propia mujer, y cada una tenga su propio marido.

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

Que el marido cumpla su deber para con su mujer, e igualmente la mujer lo cumpla con el 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 autoridad sobre su propio cuerpo, sino el marido. Y asimismo el marido no tiene autoridad sobre 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 se priven el uno del otro, excepto de común acuerdo y por cierto tiempo, para dedicarse a la oración. Vuelvan después a juntarse, a fin de que Satanás no los tiente por causa de falta de dominio propio.

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

Pero esto lo digo por vía de concesión, no como una orden.

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

Sin embargo, yo desearía que todos los hombres fueran como yo. No obstante, cada cual ha recibido de Dios su propio don, unos de una manera y otros de otra.

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.

A los solteros y a las viudas digo que es bueno para ellos si se quedan 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.

Pero si carecen de dominio propio, 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,

A los casados instruyo, no yo, sino el Señor: que la mujer no debe dejar al (separarse 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.

Pero si lo deja, quédese sin casar, o de lo contrario que se reconcilie con su marido, y que el marido no abandone 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.

Pero a los demás digo yo, no el Señor, que si un hermano tiene una mujer que no es creyente, y ella consiente en vivir con él, no la abandone.

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 cuyo marido no es creyente, y él consiente en vivir con ella, no abandone a su marido.

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 que no es creyente es santificado por medio de su mujer; y la mujer que no es creyente es santificada por medio de su marido creyente. De otra manera sus 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.

Sin embargo, si el que no es creyente se separa, que se separe. En tales casos el hermano o la hermana no están obligados (sujetos a servidumbre), sino que Dios nos ha llamado para vivir en paz.

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

Pues ¿cómo sabes tú, mujer, si salvarás a tu marido? ¿O cómo sabes tú, marido, si salvarás a tu mujer ? Anden en la Voluntad de Dios

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.

Fuera de esto, según el Señor ha asignado a cada uno, según Dios llamó a cada cual, así ande. Esto 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.

¿Fue llamado alguno ya circuncidado? Quédese circuncidado. ¿Fue llamado alguien estando incircuncidado ? 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 nada es la incircuncisión, sino el guardar los mandamientos de Dios.

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

Cada uno permanezca en la condición en que fue llamado.

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.

¿Fuiste llamado siendo esclavo? No te preocupes. Aunque si puedes obtener tu libertad, prefiérelo.

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 fue llamado por el Señor siendo esclavo, hombre libre es del Señor. De la misma manera, el que fue llamado siendo libre, esclavo es de Cristo.

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

Ustedes fueron comprados por precio. No se hagan esclavos de los hombres.

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

Hermanos, cada uno permanezca con Dios en la condición en que fue llamado. Sobre Casarse o no Casarse

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.

En cuanto a las vírgenes no tengo mandamiento del Señor, pero doy mi opinión como el que habiendo recibido la misericordia del Señor es digno de confianza.

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

Creo, pues, que esto es bueno en vista de la presente aflicción; es decir, que es bueno que el hombre se quede como está.

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 unido a mujer? No procures separarte. ¿Estás libre de mujer? No busques 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.

Y si te casas, no has pecado; y si una virgen se casa, no ha pecado. Sin embargo, ellos tendrán problemas en esta vida, y yo quiero evitárse los.

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: el tiempo ha sido acortado; de modo que de ahora en adelante los que tienen mujer sean como si no la tuvieran;

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.

los que lloran, como si no lloraran; los que se regocijan, como si no se regocijaran; los que compran, como si no tuvieran nada;

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.

los que aprovechan el mundo, como si no lo aprovecharan plenamente; porque la apariencia de este mundo es pasajera.

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.

Sin embargo, quiero que estén libres de preocupación. El soltero se preocupa por las cosas del Señor, cómo puede 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 casado se preocupa por las cosas del mundo, de cómo 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.

y sus intereses están divididos. La mujer que no está casada y la virgen se preocupan por las cosas del Señor, para ser santas tanto en cuerpo como en espíritu; pero la casada se preocupa por las cosas del mundo, de cómo 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 digo para su propio beneficio; no para ponerles restricción, sino para promover lo que es honesto y para asegurar su constante devoción 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.

Y si alguien cree que no está obrando correctamente con respecto a su hija virgen, si ella es de edad madura, y si es necesario que así se haga, que haga lo que quiera, no peca; que se case.

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 sin presión alguna, y tiene control sobre su propia voluntad, y ha decidido en su corazón conservar virgen a su hija, bien hará.

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

Así los dos, el que da en matrimonio a su hija virgen, hace bien; y el que no la da en matrimonio, 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 está ligada mientras el marido vive; pero si el marido muere, está en libertad de casarse con quien desee, sólo 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 en mi opinión, será más feliz si se queda como está. Y creo que yo también tengo el Espíritu de Dios.