1 karinthinaH 7

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

5 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|

Do not 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 does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6 Etad AdEzatO nahi kintvanujnjAta Eva mayA kathyatE,

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

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

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 aparam akRtavivAhAn vidhavAzca prati mamaitannivEdanaM mamEva tESAmavasthiti rbhadrA;

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

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

But if they do not have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 yE ca kRtavivAhAstE mayA nahi prabhunaivaitad AjnjApyantE|

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 tvakchEdaH sArO nahi tadvadatvakchEdO'pi sArO nahi kintvIzvarasyAjnjAnAM pAlanamEva|

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is keeping God’s commandments.

20 yO janO yasyAmavasthAyAmAhvAyi sa tasyAmEvAvatiSThatAM|

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

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

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

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

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 yUyaM mUlyEna krItA atO hEtO rmAnavAnAM dAsA mA bhavata|

You were bought with a price. Do not become bondservants of men.

24 hE bhrAtarO yasyAmavasthAyAM yasyAhvAnamabhavat tayA sa Izvarasya sAkSAt tiSThatu|

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

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

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 varttamAnAt klEzasamayAt manuSyasyAnUPhatvaM bhadramiti mayA budhyatE|

Therefore I think that because of the distress that is on us, it’s good for a man to remain as he is.

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

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

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

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

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 ataH kRtadArairakRtadArairiva rudadbhizcArudadbhiriva sAnandaizca nirAnandairiva krEtRbhizcAbhAgibhirivAcaritavyaM

and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;

31 yE ca saMsArE caranti tai rnAticaritavyaM yata ihalEkasya kautukO vicalati|

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

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

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 kintu kRtavivAhO janO yathA bhAryyAM paritOSayEt tathA saMsAraM cintayati|

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

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

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

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

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 does not sin. Let them marry.

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

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

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

39 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|

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

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