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

Acerca de lo que me habéis preguntado por escrito, digo: Bueno le sería 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.

Sin embargo, por causa de las fornicaciones tenga cada uno su propia mujer, y tenga cada una su propio marido.

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

El marido debe cumplir con su mujer el deber conyugal, y asimismo la mujer con su 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 dominio sobre su propio cuerpo, sino el marido; ni tampoco tiene el marido dominio 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 os neguéis el uno al otro, a no ser por algún tiempo de mutuo consentimiento, para ocuparos sosegadamente en la oración. Luego 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.

Pero esto lo digo más como concesión que como 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 de un modo, y otro de otro.

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 solteros y a las viudas, que bueno les sería quedarse 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 no tienen don de continencia, cásense, pues mejor es casarse que estarse quemando.

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 que están unidos en matrimonio, mando, no yo, sino el Señor, que la mujer no se separe 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 separa, quédese sin casar o reconcíliese 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.

A los demás yo digo, no el Señor, que si algún 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 si una mujer tiene marido que no es creyente, y él consiente en vivir con ella, no lo abandone,

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 no creyente es santificado por la mujer; y la mujer no creyente, por el marido. De otra manera vuestros hijos serían impuros, mientras que 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 no creyente se separa, sepárese, pues no está el hermano o la hermana sujeto a servidumbre en semejante caso, sino que a vivir en 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

¿Qué sabes tú, mujer, si quizá harás salvo a tu marido? ¿O qué sabes tú, 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.

Pero cada uno viva según los dones que el Señor le repartió y según era cuando Dios lo llamó: 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 siendo circunciso? Quédese circunciso. ¿Fue llamado alguno siendo incircunciso? 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 significa, y la incircuncisión nada significa; lo que importa es guardar los mandamientos de Dios.

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

Cada uno debe quedarse en el estado 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 tienes oportunidad de hacerte libre, aprovéchala,

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 fue llamado siendo esclavo, liberto es del Señor; asimismo 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.

Por precio fuisteis comprados; no os hagáis esclavos de los hombres.

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

Cada uno, hermanos, en el estado en que fue llamado, así permanezca 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.

En cuanto a las vírgenes no tengo mandamiento del Señor, pero doy mi parecer como quien ha alcanzado misericordia del Señor para ser 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.

Tengo, pues, esto por bueno a causa de las dificultades del tiempo presente: que hará bien el hombre en quedarse 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 ligado a mujer? No trates de soltarte. ¿Estás libre de mujer? No trates de casarte.

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.

Ahora bien, si te casas, no pecas; y si la doncella se casa, no peca; pero los que se casan tendrán aflicción de la carne, y yo os la quisiera evitar.

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. Resta, pues, que los que tienen esposa 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 alegran, como si no se alegraran; los que compran, como si no poseyeran,

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 disfrutan de este mundo, como si no lo disfrutaran, 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.

Quisiera, pues, que estuvierais sin congoja. El soltero se preocupa por las cosas del Señor, de cómo 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.

Hay asimismo diferencia entre la casada y la doncella. La doncella se preocupa por las cosas del Señor, para ser santa 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 lo digo para vuestro provecho; no para tenderos lazo, sino para lo honesto y decente, y para que sin impedimento os acerquéis 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.

Pero si alguno piensa que es impropio que a su hija virgen se le pase la edad, y que es necesario casarla, 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, sin tener compromiso que lo obligue, sino que, dueño de su propia voluntad, ha resuelto en su corazón guardar virgen a su hija, bien hace.

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

De manera que el que la da en casamiento hace bien, pero 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 ligada a su marido por la ley mientras él vive; pero si su marido muere, queda libre para casarse con quien quiera, 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, a mi juicio, más dichosa será si se queda así; y pienso que también yo tengo el Espíritu de Dios.