1 A cerca de lo que me habéis preguntado por escrito, digo: Bueno le sería al hombre no tocar mujer.

Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman.

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

But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

3 E l marido debe cumplir con su mujer el deber conyugal, y asimismo la mujer con su marido.

Let the husband render to his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

4 L a mujer no tiene dominio sobre su propio cuerpo, sino el marido; ni tampoco tiene el marido dominio sobre su propio cuerpo, sino la mujer.

The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife.

5 N o 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.

Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6 P ero esto lo digo más como concesión que como mandamiento.

But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.

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 de un modo, y otro de otro.

Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.

8 D igo, pues, a los solteros y a las viudas, que bueno les sería quedarse como yo;

But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am.

9 p ero si no tienen don de continencia, cásense, pues mejor es casarse que estarse quemando.

But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn.

10 A los que están unidos en matrimonio, mando, no yo, sino el Señor, que la mujer no se separe del marido;

But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband

11 y si se separa, quédese sin casar o reconcíliese con su marido; y que el marido no abandone a su mujer.

(but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.

12 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.

But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her.

13 Y si una mujer tiene marido que no es creyente, y él consiente en vivir con ella, no lo abandone,

The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband.

14 p orque 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.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

15 P ero 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.

Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.

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

For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

17 P ero cada uno viva según los dones que el Señor le repartió y según era cuando Dios lo llamó: esto ordeno en todas las iglesias.

Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies.

18 ¿ Fue llamado alguno siendo circunciso? Quédese circunciso. ¿Fue llamado alguno siendo incircunciso? No se circuncide.

Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.

19 L a circuncisión nada significa, y la incircuncisión nada significa; lo que importa es guardar los mandamientos de Dios.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

20 C ada uno debe quedarse en el estado en que fue llamado.

Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.

21 ¿ Fuiste llamado siendo esclavo? No te preocupes, aunque si tienes oportunidad de hacerte libre, aprovéchala,

Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.

22 p orque el que en el Señor fue llamado siendo esclavo, liberto es del Señor; asimismo el que fue llamado siendo libre, esclavo es de Cristo.

For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s bondservant.

23 P or precio fuisteis comprados; no os hagáis esclavos de los hombres.

You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.

24 C ada uno, hermanos, en el estado en que fue llamado, así permanezca para con Dios.

Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.

25 E n 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.

Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.

26 T engo, pues, esto por bueno a causa de las dificultades del tiempo presente: que hará bien el hombre en quedarse como está.

I think that it is good therefore, because of the distress that is on us, that it is good for a man to be as he is.

27 ¿ Estás ligado a mujer? No trates de soltarte. ¿Estás libre de mujer? No trates de casarte.

Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife.

28 A hora 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.

But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to spare you.

29 P ero esto digo, hermanos: que el tiempo es corto. Resta, pues, que los que tienen esposa sean como si no la tuvieran;

But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;

30 l os que lloran, como si no lloraran; los que se alegran, como si no se alegraran; los que compran, como si no poseyeran,

and those who weep, as though they didn’t weep; and those who rejoice, as though they didn’t rejoice; and those who buy, as though they didn’t possess;

31 y los que disfrutan de este mundo, como si no lo disfrutaran, porque la apariencia de este mundo es pasajera.

and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.

32 Q uisiera, pues, que estuvierais sin congoja. El soltero se preocupa por las cosas del Señor, de cómo agradar al Señor;

But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

33 p ero el casado se preocupa por las cosas del mundo, de cómo agradar a su mujer.

but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

34 H ay 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.

There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

35 E sto lo digo para vuestro provecho; no para tenderos lazo, sino para lo honesto y decente, y para que sin impedimento os acerquéis al Señor.

This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction.

36 P ero 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.

But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He doesn’t sin. Let them marry.

37 P ero 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.

But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own heart, to keep his own virgin, does well.

38 D e manera que el que la da en casamiento hace bien, pero el que no la da en casamiento hace mejor.

So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn’t give her in marriage does better.

39 L a 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.

A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, only in the Lord.

40 P ero, a mi juicio, más dichosa será si se queda así; y pienso que también yo tengo el Espíritu de Dios.

But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God’s Spirit.