1 karinthinaH 7

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

Now concerning the matters 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 the cases of fornication, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

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

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to 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 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, except by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to fasting and prayer and then come together again so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6 Etad AdEzatO nahi kintvanujnjAta Eva mayA kathyatE,

Now I say this as a concession, not as a command.

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

For I wish that all people were as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one person in this manner and another in that manner.

8 aparam akRtavivAhAn vidhavAzca prati mamaitannivEdanaM mamEva tESAmavasthiti rbhadrA;

Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: 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 cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 yE ca kRtavivAhAstE mayA nahi prabhunaivaitad AjnjApyantE|

Now to the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from 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 does separate, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and a husband must not divorce his wife.

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

Now to the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to dwell with him, he must not divorce her.

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

And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he consents to dwell with her, she must not divorce him.

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

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

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

But if the unbelieving spouse separates, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not enslaved in such cases. God has called us to live 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 yoʋ know, O wife, whether yoʋ will save yoʋr husband? Or how do yoʋ know, O husband, whether yoʋ will save yoʋr wife?

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

Nevertheless, each person should live the life that God has assigned to him and to which the Lord has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.

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

Was any man already circumcised when he was called? He should not remove the marks of circumcision. Was any man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not become circumcised.

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

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

20 yO janO yasyAmavasthAyAmAhvAyi sa tasyAmEvAvatiSThatAM|

Each person should remain in the calling in which he was called.

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

Were yoʋ a slave when yoʋ were called? Do not be concerned about it, but if yoʋ are able to become free, make the most of the opportunity.

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

For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord's freedman. In the same way, he who was called as a free man is Christ's slave.

23 yUyaM mUlyEna krItA atO hEtO rmAnavAnAM dAsA mA bhavata|

You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.

24 hE bhrAtarO yasyAmavasthAyAM yasyAhvAnamabhavat tayA sa Izvarasya sAkSAt tiSThatu|

Brothers, each person should remain with God in the condition in which he was called.

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 do not have a command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has been shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy.

26 varttamAnAt klEzasamayAt manuSyasyAnUPhatvaM bhadramiti mayA budhyatE|

I think it is good then, on account of the present distress, 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 yoʋ pledged to marry a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are yoʋ free from such a commitment? 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 even if yoʋ do marry, yoʋ have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will have tribulation in the flesh, and I am trying 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 those who have wives should live as though they had none,

30 ataH kRtadArairakRtadArairiva rudadbhizcArudadbhiriva sAnandaizca nirAnandairiva krEtRbhizcAbhAgibhirivAcaritavyaM

and those who weep as though they were not weeping, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, 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 this world as though they were not making full use of it. For the form of this world is passing away.

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

But I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, how he will please the Lord.

33 kintu kRtavivAhO janO yathA bhAryyAM paritOSayEt tathA saMsAraM cintayati|

But the married man is concerned about the affairs of the world, how he will 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 a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, how she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the affairs of the world, how she will 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|

I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote proper behavior and devotion 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|

Now if any man thinks that he is acting improperly toward his virgin daughter by not letting her marry, if she is past the bloom of her youth and it seems necessary to do so, he should do what he wants. He is not sinning by letting her get married.

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

But the man who stands firm in his heart, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and has determined in his heart to keep his virgin daughter from marrying, does well.

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

So then, he who gives her in marriage does well, but 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 the law to her husband for as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wishes, but only in the Lord.

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

Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.