1 Corinthians 7

1 And concerning the things of which ye wrote to me: good [it is] for a man not to touch a woman,

aparanjca yuSmAbhi rmAM prati yat patramalEkhi tasyOttaramEtat, yOSitO'sparzanaM manujasya varaM;

2 and because of the whoredom let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her proper husband;

kintu vyabhicArabhayAd Ekaikasya puMsaH svakIyabhAryyA bhavatu tadvad EkaikasyA yOSitO 'pi svakIyabharttA bhavatu|

3 to the wife let the husband the due benevolence render, and in like manner also the wife to the husband;

bhAryyAyai bhartrA yadyad vitaraNIyaM tad vitIryyatAM tadvad bhartrE'pi bhAryyayA vitaraNIyaM vitIryyatAM|

4 the wife over her own body hath not authority, but the husband; and, in like manner also, the husband over his own body hath not authority, but the wife.

bhAryyAyAH svadEhE svatvaM nAsti bhartturEva, tadvad bhartturapi svadEhE svatvaM nAsti bhAryyAyA Eva|

5 Defraud not one another, except by consent for a time, that ye may be free for fasting and prayer, and again may come together, that the Adversary may not tempt you because of your incontinence;

upOSaNaprArthanayOH sEvanArtham EkamantraNAnAM yuSmAkaM kiyatkAlaM yAvad yA pRthaksthiti rbhavati tadanyO vicchEdO yuSmanmadhyE na bhavatu, tataH param indriyANAm adhairyyAt zayatAn yad yuSmAn parIkSAM na nayEt tadarthaM punarEkatra milata|

6 and this I say by way of concurrence — not of command,

Etad AdEzatO nahi kintvanujnjAta Eva mayA kathyatE,

7 for I wish all men to be even as I myself [am]; but each his own gift hath of God, one indeed thus, and one thus.

yatO mamAvasthEva sarvvamAnavAnAmavasthA bhavatviti mama vAnjchA kintvIzvarAd EkEnaikO varO'nyEna cAnyO vara itthamEkaikEna svakIyavarO labdhaH|

8 And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they may remain even as I [am];

aparam akRtavivAhAn vidhavAzca prati mamaitannivEdanaM mamEva tESAmavasthiti rbhadrA;

9 and if they have not continence — let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn;

kinjca yadi tairindriyANi niyantuM na zakyantE tarhi vivAhaH kriyatAM yataH kAmadahanAd vyUPhatvaM bhadraM|

10 and to the married I announce — not I, but the Lord — let not a wife separate from a husband:

yE ca kRtavivAhAstE mayA nahi prabhunaivaitad AjnjApyantE|

11 but and if she may separate, let her remain unmarried, or to the husband let her be reconciled, and let not a husband send away a wife.

bhAryyA bharttRtaH pRthak na bhavatu| yadi vA pRthagbhUtA syAt tarhi nirvivAhA tiSThatu svIyapatinA vA sandadhAtu bharttApi bhAryyAM na tyajatu|

12 And to the rest I speak — not the Lord — if any brother hath a wife unbelieving, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not send her away;

itarAn janAn prati prabhu rna bravIti kintvahaM bravImi; kasyacid bhrAturyOSid avizvAsinI satyapi yadi tEna sahavAsE tuSyati tarhi sA tEna na tyajyatAM|

13 and a woman who hath a husband unbelieving, and he is pleased to dwell with her, let her not send him away;

tadvat kasyAzcid yOSitaH patiravizvAsI sannapi yadi tayA sahavAsE tuSyati tarhi sa tayA na tyajyatAM|

14 for the unbelieving husband hath been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife hath been sanctified in the husband; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

yatO'vizvAsI bharttA bhAryyayA pavitrIbhUtaH, tadvadavizvAsinI bhAryyA bhartrA pavitrIbhUtA; nOcEd yuSmAkamapatyAnyazucInyabhaviSyan kintvadhunA tAni pavitrANi santi|

15 And, if the unbelieving doth separate himself — let him separate himself: the brother or the sister is not under servitude in such [cases], and in peace hath God called us;

avizvAsI janO yadi vA pRthag bhavati tarhi pRthag bhavatu; EtEna bhrAtA bhaginI vA na nibadhyatE tathApi vayamIzvarENa zAntayE samAhUtAH|

16 for what, hast thou known, O wife, whether the husband thou shalt save? or what, hast thou known, O husband, whether the wife thou shalt save?

hE nAri tava bharttuH paritrANaM tvattO bhaviSyati na vEti tvayA kiM jnjAyatE? hE nara tava jAyAyAH paritrANaM tvattE bhaviSyati na vEti tvayA kiM jnjAyatE?

17 if not, as God did distribute to each, as the Lord hath called each — so let him walk; and thus in all the assemblies do I direct:

EkaikO janaH paramEzvarAllabdhaM yad bhajatE yasyAnjcAvasthAyAm IzvarENAhvAyi tadanusArENaivAcaratu tadahaM sarvvasamAjasthAn AdizAmi|

18 being circumcised — was any one called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision was any one called? let him not be circumcised;

chinnatvag bhRtvA ya AhUtaH sa prakRSTatvak na bhavatu, tadvad achinnatvag bhUtvA ya AhUtaH sa chinnatvak na bhavatu|

19 the circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing — but a keeping of the commands of God.

tvakchEdaH sArO nahi tadvadatvakchEdO'pi sArO nahi kintvIzvarasyAjnjAnAM pAlanamEva|

20 Each in the calling in which he was called — in this let him remain;

yO janO yasyAmavasthAyAmAhvAyi sa tasyAmEvAvatiSThatAM|

21 a servant — wast thou called? be not anxious; but if also thou art able to become free — use [it] rather;

dAsaH san tvaM kimAhUtO'si? tanmA cintaya, tathAca yadi svatantrO bhavituM zaknuyAstarhi tadEva vRNu|

22 for he who [is] in the Lord — having been called a servant — is the Lord's freedman: in like manner also he the freeman, having been called, is servant of Christ:

yataH prabhunAhUtO yO dAsaH sa prabhO rmOcitajanaH| tadvad tEnAhUtaH svatantrO janO'pi khrISTasya dAsa Eva|

23 with a price ye were bought, become not servants of men;

yUyaM mUlyEna krItA atO hEtO rmAnavAnAM dAsA mA bhavata|

24 each, in that in which he was called, brethren, in this let him remain with God.

hE bhrAtarO yasyAmavasthAyAM yasyAhvAnamabhavat tayA sa Izvarasya sAkSAt tiSThatu|

25 And concerning the virgins, a command of the Lord I have not; and I give judgment as having obtained kindness from the Lord to be faithful:

aparam akRtavivAhAn janAn prati prabhOH kO'pyAdEzO mayA na labdhaH kintu prabhOranukampayA vizvAsyO bhUtO'haM yad bhadraM manyE tad vadAmi|

26 I suppose, therefore, this to be good because of the present necessity, that [it is] good for a man that the matter be thus: —

varttamAnAt klEzasamayAt manuSyasyAnUPhatvaM bhadramiti mayA budhyatE|

27 Hast thou been bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; hast thou been loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

tvaM kiM yOSiti nibaddhO'si tarhi mOcanaM prAptuM mA yatasva| kiM vA yOSitO muktO'si? tarhi jAyAM mA gavESaya|

28 But and if thou mayest marry, thou didst not sin; and if the virgin may marry, she did not sin; and such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I spare you.

vivAhaM kurvvatA tvayA kimapi nApArAdhyatE tadvad vyUhyamAnayA yuvatyApi kimapi nAparAdhyatE tathAca tAdRzau dvau janau zArIrikaM klEzaM lapsyEtE kintu yuSmAn prati mama karuNA vidyatE|

29 And this I say, brethren, the time henceforth is having been shortened — that both those having wives may be as not having;

hE bhrAtarO'hamidaM bravImi, itaH paraM samayO'tIva saMkSiptaH,

30 and those weeping, as not weeping; and those rejoicing, as not rejoicing; and those buying, as not possessing;

ataH kRtadArairakRtadArairiva rudadbhizcArudadbhiriva sAnandaizca nirAnandairiva krEtRbhizcAbhAgibhirivAcaritavyaM

31 and those using this world, as not using [it] up; for passing away is the fashion of this world.

yE ca saMsArE caranti tai rnAticaritavyaM yata ihalEkasya kautukO vicalati|

32 And I wish you to be without anxiety; the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;

kintu yUyaM yannizcintA bhavEtEti mama vAnjchA| akRtavivAhO janO yathA prabhuM paritOSayEt tathA prabhuM cintayati,

33 and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how he shall please the wife.

kintu kRtavivAhO janO yathA bhAryyAM paritOSayEt tathA saMsAraM cintayati|

34 The wife and the virgin have been distinguished: the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how she shall please the husband.

tadvad UPhayOSitO 'nUPhA viziSyatE| yAnUPhA sA yathA kAyamanasOH pavitrA bhavEt tathA prabhuM cintayati yA cOPhA sA yathA bharttAraM paritOSayEt tathA saMsAraM cintayati|

35 And this for your own profit I say: not that I may cast a noose upon you, but for the seemliness and devotedness to the Lord, undistractedly,

ahaM yad yuSmAn mRgabandhinyA parikSipEyaM tadarthaM nahi kintu yUyaM yadaninditA bhUtvA prabhOH sEvanE'bAdham AsaktA bhavEta tadarthamEtAni sarvvANi yuSmAkaM hitAya mayA kathyantE|

36 and if any one doth think [it] to be unseemly to his virgin, if she may be beyond the bloom of age, and it ought so to be, what he willeth let him do; he doth not sin — let him marry.

kasyacit kanyAyAM yauvanaprAptAyAM yadi sa tasyA anUPhatvaM nindanIyaM vivAhazca sAdhayitavya iti manyatE tarhi yathAbhilASaM karOtu, EtEna kimapi nAparAtsyati vivAhaH kriyatAM|

37 And he who hath stood stedfast in the heart — not having necessity — and hath authority over his own will, and this he hath determined in his heart — to keep his own virgin — doth well;

kintu duHkhEnAkliSTaH kazcit pitA yadi sthiramanOgataH svamanO'bhilASasAdhanE samarthazca syAt mama kanyA mayA rakSitavyEti manasi nizcinOti ca tarhi sa bhadraM karmma karOti|

38 so that both he who is giving in marriage doth well, and he who is not giving in marriage doth better.

atO yO vivAhaM karOti sa bhadraM karmma karOti yazca vivAhaM na karOti sa bhadrataraM karmma karOti|

39 A wife hath been bound by law as long time as her husband may live, and if her husband may sleep, she is free to be married to whom she will — only in the Lord;

yAvatkAlaM pati rjIvati tAvad bhAryyA vyavasthayA nibaddhA tiSThati kintu patyau mahAnidrAM gatE sA muktIbhUya yamabhilaSati tEna saha tasyA vivAhO bhavituM zaknOti, kintvEtat kEvalaM prabhubhaktAnAM madhyE|

40 and she is happier if she may so remain — according to my judgment; and I think I also have the Spirit of God.

tathAca sA yadi niSpatikA tiSThati tarhi tasyAH kSEmaM bhaviSyatIti mama bhAvaH| aparam IzvarasyAtmA mamApyanta rvidyata iti mayA budhyatE|