1 Corintios 7

1 En cuanto a lo que me escribisteis, es bueno que el hombre no toque a la mujer.

With reference to the subjects about which you wrote to me: It would be well for a man to remain single.

2 Pero, a causa de las inmoralidades sexuales, que cada hombre tenga su propia esposa, y que cada mujer tenga su propio marido.

But, owing to the prevalence of immorality, I advise every man to have his own wife, and every woman her husband.

3 Que el marido dé a su mujer el afecto que se le debe, y así también la mujer a su marido.

A husband should give his wife her due, and a wife her husband.

4 La mujer no tiene autoridad sobre su propio cuerpo, sino el marido. Así también el marido no tiene autoridad sobre su propio cuerpo, sino la mujer.

It is not the wife, but the husband, who exercises power over her body; and so, too, it is not the husband, but the wife, who exercises power over his body.

5 No os privéis los unos a los otros, a no ser que sea de común acuerdo por un tiempo, para que os dediquéis al ayuno y a la oración, y estéis de nuevo juntos, para que Satanás no os tiente por vuestra falta de dominio propio.

Do not deprive each other of what is due — unless it is only for a time and by mutual consent, so that your minds may be free for prayer till you again live as man and wife — lest Satan should take advantage of your want of self-control and tempt you.

6 Pero esto lo digo a modo de concesión, no de mandamiento.

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

7 Sin embargo, quisiera que todos los hombres fueran como yo. Sin embargo, cada hombre tiene su propio don de Dios, uno de este tipo y otro de aquel.

I should wish every one to be just what I am myself. But every one has his own gift from God — one in one way, and one in another.

8 Pero a los solteros y a las viudas les digo que es bueno que se queden como yo.

My advice, then, to those who are not married, and to widows, is this: It would be well for them to remain as I am myself.

9 Pero si no tienen dominio propio, que se casen. Porque es mejor casarse que arder de pasión.

But, if they cannot control themselves, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to be consumed with passion.

10 Pero a los casados les ordeno — no yo, sino el Señor — que la mujer no deje a su marido

To those who are married my direction is — yet it is not mine, but the Master’s — that a woman is not to leave her husband

11 (pero si se separa, que se quede soltera, o que se reconcilie con su marido), y que el marido no deje a su mujer.

(If she has done so, let her remain as she is, or else be reconciled to her husband) and also that a man is not to divorce his wife.

12 Pero a los demás, yo — no el Señor — les digo: Si algún hermano tiene una esposa incrédula, y ella se contenta con vivir con él, que no la deje.

To all others I say — I, not the Master — If a Brother is married to a woman, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with him, he should not divorce her;

13 La mujer que tiene un marido incrédulo, y éste se contenta con vivir con ella, que no deje a su marido.

and a woman who is married to a man, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with her, should not divorce her husband.

14 Porque el marido incrédulo se santifica en la mujer, y la mujer incrédula se santifica en el marido. De lo contrario, sus hijos serían impuros, pero ahora son santos.

For, through his wife, the husband who is an unbeliever has become associated with Christ’s People; and the wife who is an unbeliever has become associated with Christ’s People through our Brother whom she has married. Otherwise your children would be ‘defiled,’ but, as it is, they belong to Christ’s People.

15 Pero si el incrédulo se aparta, que haya separación. El hermano o la hermana no están sometidos en tales casos, sino que Dios nos ha llamado en paz.

However, if the unbeliever wishes to be separated, let him be so. Under such circumstances neither the Brother nor the Sister is bound; God has called you to live in peace.

16 Pues ¿cómo sabes, esposa, si salvarás a tu marido? ¿O cómo sabes, esposo, si salvarás a tu esposa?

How can you tell, wife, whether you may not save your husband? and how can you tell, husband, whether you may not save your wife?

17 Solamente, como el Señor ha distribuido a cada hombre, como Dios ha llamado a cada uno, así debe caminar. Así lo ordeno en todas las asambleas.

In any case, a man should continue to live in the condition which the Lord has allotted to him, and in which he was when God called him. This is the rule that I lay down in every Church.

18 ¿Se llamó a alguien habiendo sido circuncidado? Que no se vuelva incircunciso. ¿Ha sido llamado alguien en la incircuncisión? Que no se circuncide.

Was a man already circumcised when he was called? Then he should not efface his circumcision. Has a man been called when uncircumcised? Then he should not be circumcised.

19 La circuncisión no es nada, y la incircuncisión no es nada, pero lo que importa es guardar los mandamientos de Dios.

Circumcision is nothing; the want of it is nothing; but to keep the commands of God is everything.

20 Que cada uno permanezca en la vocación a la que fue llamado.

Let every one remain in that condition of life in which he was when the Call came to him.

21 ¿Fuiste llamado siendo siervo? No dejes que eso te moleste, pero si tienes la oportunidad de ser libre, aprovéchala.

Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that trouble you. No, even if you are able to gain your freedom, still do your best.

22 Porque el que fue llamado en el Señor siendo siervo, es el hombre libre del Señor. Asimismo, el que fue llamado siendo libre es siervo de Cristo.

For the man who was a slave when he was called to the master’s service is the Master’s freed-man; so, too, the man who was free when called is Christ’s slave.

23 Ustedes fueron comprados por un precio. No os hagáis siervos de los hombres.

You were bought, and the price was paid. Do not let yourselves become slaves to men.

24 Hermanos, que cada uno, en la condición en que fue llamado, permanezca en esa condición con Dios.

Brothers, let every one remain in the condition in which he was when he was called, in close communion with God.

25 En cuanto a las vírgenes, no tengo ningún mandamiento del Señor, sino que doy mi juicio como alguien que ha obtenido la misericordia del Señor para ser digno de confianza.

With regard to unmarried women, I have no command from the Master to give you, but I tell you my opinion, and it is that of a man whom the Master in his mercy has made worthy to be trusted.

26 Por lo tanto, creo que a causa de la angustia que nos invade, es bueno que el hombre permanezca como está.

I think, then, that, in view of the time of suffering that has now come upon us, what I have already said is best — that a man should remain as he is.

27 ¿Estás atado a una esposa? No busques liberarte. ¿Estás libre de una esposa? No busques esposa.

Are you married to a wife? Then do not seek to be separated. Are you separated from a wife? Then do not seek for a wife.

28 Pero si te casas, no has pecado. Si una virgen se casa, no ha pecado. Sin embargo, los tales tendrán opresión en la carne, y yo quiero librarlos.

still, if you should marry, that is not wrong; nor, if a young woman marries, is that wrong. But those who marry will have much trouble to bear, and my wish is to spare you.

29 Pero os digo esto, hermanos: el tiempo es corto. A partir de ahora, tanto los que tienen esposa como los que no la tienen;

What I mean, Brothers, is this — the time is short. Meanwhile, let those who have wives live as if they had none,

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

those who are weeping as if not weeping, those who are rejoicing as if not rejoicing, those who buy as if not possessing,

31 y los que usan el mundo, como si no lo usaran al máximo. Porque el modo de este mundo pasa.

and those who use the good things of the world as using them sparingly; for this world as we see it is passing away.

32 Pero yo quiero que estéis libres de preocupaciones. El que no está casado se preocupa de las cosas del Señor, de cómo puede agradar al Señor;

I want you to be free from anxiety. The unmarried man is anxious about the Master’s Cause, desiring to please him;

33 pero el que está casado se preocupa de las cosas del mundo, de cómo puede agradar a su mujer.

while the married man is anxious about worldly matters, desiring to please his wife;

34 También hay una diferencia entre una esposa y una virgen. La mujer soltera se preocupa por las cosas del Señor, para ser santa tanto en cuerpo como en espíritu. Pero la que está casada se preocupa por las cosas del mundo: por complacer a su marido.

and so his interests are divided. Again, the unmarried woman, whether she is old or young, is anxious about the Master’s Cause, striving to be pure both in body and in spirit, while the married woman is anxious about worldly matters, desiring to please her husband.

35 Esto lo digo por tu propio bien, no para que te atrape, sino por lo que conviene, y para que atiendas al Señor sin distracción.

I say this for your own benefit, not with any intention of putting a halter round your necks, but in order to secure for the Master seemly and constant devotion, free from all distraction.

36 Pero si algún hombre piensa que se comporta de manera inapropiada con su virgen, si ella ha pasado la flor de la edad, y si la necesidad lo requiere, que haga lo que quiera. No peca. Que se casen.

If, however, a father thinks that he is not acting fairly by his unmarried daughter, when she is past her youth, and if under these circumstances her marriage ought to take place, let him act as he thinks right. He is doing nothing wrong — let the marriage take place.

37 Pero el que se mantiene firme en su corazón, sin tener urgencia, sino que tiene poder sobre su propia voluntad, y ha decidido en su propio corazón conservar su propia virgen, hace bien.

On the other hand, a father, who has definitely made up his mind, and is under no compulsion, but is free to carry out his own wishes, and who has come to the decision, in his own mind, to keep his unmarried daughter at home will be doing right.

38 Así pues, tanto el que da su propia virgen en matrimonio hace bien, como el que no la da en matrimonio hace mejor.

In short, the one who consents to his daughter’s marriage is doing right, and yet the other will be doing better.

39 La mujer está obligada por la ley mientras viva su marido; pero si el marido ha muerto, es libre de casarse con quien quiera, sólo en el Señor.

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but, if the husband should pass to his rest, the widow is free to marry any one she wishes, provided he is a believer.

40 Pero ella es más feliz si se queda como está, a mi juicio, y creo que también tengo el Espíritu de Dios.

Yet she will be happier if she remains as she is — in my opinion, for I think that I also have the Spirit of God.