Προς Κορινθιους Α΄ 7
1 Περὶ δὲ ὧν ἐγράψατε, καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ, γυναικὸς μὴ ἅπτεσθαι.
Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Διὰ δὲ τὰς πορνείας, ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἐχέτω, καὶ ἑκάστη τὸν ἴδιον ἄνδρα ἐχέτω.
But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3 Τῇ γυναικὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἀποδιδότω, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ τῷ ἀνδρί.
Let the husband give his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife her husband.
4 Ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος οὐκ ἐξουσιάζει, ἀλλὰ ὁ ἀνήρ· ὁμοίως δὲ, καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος οὐκ ἐξουσιάζει, ἀλλὰ ἡ γυνή.
The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5 Μὴ ἀποστερεῖτε ἀλλήλους, εἰ μήτι ἂν ἐκ συμφώνου πρὸς καιρὸν, ἵνα σχολάσητε τῇ προσευχῇ, καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἦτε, ἵνα μὴ πειράζῃ ὑμᾶς ὁ Σατανᾶς, διὰ τὴν ἀκρασίαν ὑμῶν.
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 Τοῦτο δὲ λέγω κατὰ συγγνώμην, οὐ κατʼ ἐπιταγήν.
But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.
7 Θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν. Ἀλλὰ ἕκαστος ἴδιον ἔχει χάρισμα ἐκ ˚Θεοῦ, ὁ μὲν οὕτως, ὁ δὲ οὕτως.
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 Λέγω δὲ τοῖς ἀγάμοις καὶ ταῖς χήραις, καλὸν αὐτοῖς ἐὰν μείνωσιν ὡς κἀγώ.
But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am.
9 Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἐγκρατεύονται, γαμησάτωσαν, κρεῖττον γάρ ἐστιν γαμῆσαι, ἢ πυροῦσθαι.
But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 Τοῖς δὲ γεγαμηκόσιν, παραγγέλλω (οὐκ ἐγὼ, ἀλλὰ ὁ ˚Κύριος), γυναῖκα ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς μὴ χωρισθῆναι
But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband
11 (ἐὰν δὲ καὶ χωρισθῇ, μενέτω ἄγαμος ἢ τῷ ἀνδρὶ καταλλαγήτω) καὶ ἄνδρα γυναῖκα μὴ ἀφιέναι.
(but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.
12 Τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς λέγω (ἐγώ, οὐχ ὁ ˚Κύριος), εἴ τις ἀδελφὸς γυναῖκα ἔχει ἄπιστον, καὶ αὕτη συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετʼ αὐτοῦ, μὴ ἀφιέτω αὐτήν.
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 Καὶ γυνὴ ἥτις ἔχει ἄνδρα ἄπιστον, καὶ οὗτος συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετʼ αὐτῆς, μὴ ἀφιέτω τὸν ἄνδρα.
The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband.
14 Ἡγίασται γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ἄπιστος ἐν τῇ γυναικί, καὶ ἡγίασται ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἄπιστος ἐν τῷ ἀδελφῷ· ἐπεὶ ἄρα τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν ἀκάθαρτά ἐστιν, νῦν δὲ ἅγιά ἐστιν.
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 Εἰ δὲ ὁ ἄπιστος χωρίζεται, χωριζέσθω. Οὐ δεδούλωται ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἡ ἀδελφὴ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις, ἐν δὲ εἰρήνῃ κέκληκεν ἡμᾶς ὁ ˚Θεός.
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 Τί γὰρ οἶδας, γύναι, εἰ τὸν ἄνδρα σώσεις; Ἢ τί οἶδας, ἄνερ, εἰ τὴν γυναῖκα σώσεις;
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 Εἰ μὴ ἑκάστῳ ὡς μεμέρικεν ὁ ˚Κύριος, ἕκαστον ὡς κέκληκεν ὁ ˚Θεός, οὕτως περιπατείτω. Καὶ οὕτως ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις πάσαις διατάσσομαι.
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 Περιτετμημένος τις ἐκλήθη; Μὴ ἐπισπάσθω. Ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ κέκληταί τις; Μὴ περιτεμνέσθω.
Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.
19 Ἡ περιτομὴ οὐδέν ἐστιν, καὶ ἡ ἀκροβυστία οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τήρησις ἐντολῶν ˚Θεοῦ.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is keeping God’s commandments.
20 Ἕκαστος ἐν τῇ κλήσει ᾗ ἐκλήθη, ἐν ταύτῃ μενέτω.
Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.
21 Δοῦλος ἐκλήθης; Μή σοι μελέτω· ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ δύνασαι ἐλεύθερος γενέσθαι, μᾶλλον χρῆσαι.
Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.
22 Ὁ γὰρ ἐν ˚Κυρίῳ κληθεὶς δοῦλος, ἀπελεύθερος ˚Κυρίου ἐστίν· ὁμοίως ὁ ἐλεύθερος κληθεὶς, δοῦλός ἐστιν ˚Χριστοῦ.
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 Τιμῆς ἠγοράσθητε· μὴ γίνεσθε δοῦλοι ἀνθρώπων.
You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.
24 Ἕκαστος ἐν ᾧ ἐκλήθη, ἀδελφοί, ἐν τούτῳ μενέτω παρὰ ˚Θεῷ.
Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.
25 Περὶ δὲ τῶν παρθένων, ἐπιταγὴν ˚Κυρίου οὐκ ἔχω, γνώμην δὲ δίδωμι, ὡς ἠλεημένος ὑπὸ ˚Κυρίου, πιστὸς εἶναι.
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 Νομίζω οὖν τοῦτο καλὸν ὑπάρχειν διὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην, ὅτι καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ τὸ οὕτως εἶναι.
Therefore I think that because of the distress that is on us, it’s good for a man to remain as he is.
27 Δέδεσαι γυναικί; Μὴ ζήτει λύσιν. Λέλυσαι ἀπὸ γυναικός; Μὴ ζήτει γυναῖκα.
Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife.
28 Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ γαμήσῃς, οὐχ ἥμαρτες. Καὶ ἐὰν γήμῃ ἡ παρθένος, οὐχ ἥμαρτεν. Θλῖψιν δὲ τῇ σαρκὶ ἕξουσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι, ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῶν φείδομαι.
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 Τοῦτο δέ φημι, ἀδελφοί, ὁ καιρὸς συνεσταλμένος ἐστίν. Τὸ λοιπὸν, ἵνα καὶ οἱ ἔχοντες γυναῖκας, ὡς μὴ ἔχοντες ὦσιν,
But I say this, brothers: the time is short. From now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;
30 καὶ οἱ κλαίοντες, ὡς μὴ κλαίοντες, καὶ οἱ χαίροντες, ὡς μὴ χαίροντες, καὶ οἱ ἀγοράζοντες, ὡς μὴ κατέχοντες,
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 καὶ οἱ χρώμενοι τὸν κόσμον, ὡς μὴ καταχρώμενοι· παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου.
and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.
32 Θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀμερίμνους εἶναι. Ὁ ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ ˚Κυρίου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῷ ˚Κυρίῳ·
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 ὁ δὲ γαμήσας μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῇ γυναικί, καὶ μεμέρισται. Καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἄγαμος καὶ ἡ παρθένος
but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 ἡ ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ ˚Κυρίου, ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία, καὶ τῷ σώματι καὶ τῷ πνεύματι· ἡ δὲ γαμήσασα μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῷ ἀνδρί.
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 Τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς τὸ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν σύμφορον λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα βρόχον ὑμῖν ἐπιβάλω, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ εὔσχημον καὶ εὐπάρεδρον τῷ ˚Κυρίῳ ἀπερισπάστως.
This I say for your own benefit, not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction.
36 Εἰ δέ τις ἀσχημονεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν παρθένον αὐτοῦ νομίζει, ἐὰν ᾖ ὑπέρακμος καὶ οὕτως ὀφείλει γίνεσθαι, ὃ θέλει ποιείτω· οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει· γαμείτωσαν.
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 Ὃς δὲ ἕστηκεν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἑδραῖος, μὴ ἔχων ἀνάγκην, ἐξουσίαν δὲ ἔχει περὶ τοῦ ἰδίου θελήματος, καὶ τοῦτο κέκρικεν ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ καρδίᾳ, τηρεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον, καλῶς ποιήσει.
But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no urgency, but has power over his own will, and has determined in his own heart to keep his own virgin, does well.
38 Ὥστε καὶ ὁ γαμίζων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον, καλῶς ποιεῖ, καὶ ὁ μὴ γαμίζων, κρεῖσσον ποιήσει.
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 Γυνὴ δέδεται ἐφʼ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς· ἐὰν δὲ κοιμηθῇ ὁ ἀνήρ, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ᾧ θέλει γαμηθῆναι, μόνον ἐν ˚Κυρίῳ.
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 Μακαριωτέρα δέ ἐστιν, ἐὰν οὕτως μείνῃ, κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν γνώμην, δοκῶ δὲ κἀγὼ, ˚Πνεῦμα ˚Θεοῦ ἔχειν.
But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God’s Spirit.
