Questions about Marriage
1 Now I will answer the questions you asked in your letter. You asked, “Is it best for people not to marry?” 2 Well, having your own husband or wife should keep you from doing something immoral. 3 Husbands and wives should be fair with each other about having sex. 4 A wife belongs to her husband instead of to herself, and a husband belongs to his wife instead of to himself. 5 So don't refuse sex to each other, unless you agree not to have sex for a little while, in order to spend time in prayer. Then Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 In my opinion that is what should be done, though I don't know of anything the Lord said about this matter. 7 I wish all of you were like me, but God has given different gifts to each of us.
8 My advice for the unmarried and for widows is that it is acceptable for them to remain single, just as I am. 9 But if you don't have enough self-control, then go ahead and get married. After all, it is better to marry than to burn with desire.
10 I instruct married couples to stay together, and this is exactly what the Lord himself taught. A wife who leaves her husband 11 should either stay single or go back to her husband. And a husband should not leave his wife.
12 I don't know of anything else the Lord said about marriage. All I can do is to give you my own advice. If your wife isn't a follower of the Lord, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce her. 13 If your husband isn't a follower, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce him. 14 Your husband or wife who isn't a follower is made holy by having you as a partner. This also makes your children holy and keeps them from being unclean in God's sight.
15 If your husband or wife isn't a follower of the Lord and decides to divorce you, then you should agree to it. You are no longer bound to that person. After all, God chose you and wants you to live at peace. 16 And besides, how do you know if you will be able to save your husband or wife who isn't a follower?
Obeying the Lord at All Times
17 In every church I tell the people to stay as they were when the Lord Jesus chose them and God called them to be his own. Now I say the same thing to you. 18 If you are already circumcised, don't try to change it. If you are not circumcised, don't get circumcised. 19 Being circumcised or uncircumcised isn't really what matters. The important thing is to obey God's commands. 20 So don't try to change what you were when God chose you. 21 Are you a slave? Don't let that bother you. But if you can win your freedom, you should. 22 When the Lord chooses slaves, they become his free people. And when he chooses free people, they become slaves of Christ. 23 God paid a great price for you. So don't become slaves of anyone else. 24 Stay what you were when God chose you.
Unmarried People
25 I don't know of anything the Lord said about people who have never been married. But I will tell you what I think. And you can trust me, because the Lord has treated me with kindness. 26 We are now going through hard times, and I think it is best for you to stay as you are. 27 If you are married, stay married. If you are not married, don't try to get married. 28 It isn't wrong to marry, even if you have never been married before. But those who marry will have a lot of trouble, and I want to protect you from this.
29 My friends, what I mean is that the Lord will soon come, and it won't matter if you are married or not. 30 It will be all the same if you are crying or laughing, or if you are buying or are completely broke. 31 It won't make any difference how much good you are getting from this world or how much you like it. This world as we know it is now passing away.
32 I want all of you to be free from worry. An unmarried man worries about how to please the Lord. 33 But a married man has more worries. He must worry about the things of this world, because he wants to please his wife. 34 So he is pulled in two directions. Unmarried women and women who have never been married worry only about pleasing the Lord, and they keep their bodies and minds pure. But a married woman worries about the things of this world, because she wants to please her husband. 35 What I am saying is for your own good—it isn't to limit your freedom. I want to help you to live right and to love the Lord above all else.
36 But suppose you are engaged to someone old enough to be married, and you want her so much that all you can think about is getting married. Then go ahead and marry. There is nothing wrong with that. 37 But it is better to have self-control and to make up your mind not to marry. 38 It is perfectly all right to marry, but it is better not to get married at all.
39 A wife should stay married to her husband until he dies. Then she is free to marry again, but only to a man who is a follower of the Lord. 40 However, I think I am obeying God's Spirit when I say she would be happier to stay single.
Par laulībām
1 Par to, ko jūs rakstījāt – ir labi vīrietim atturēties no sievietes; 2 bet, lai izvairītos no netiklības, katrs lai iet pie savas sievas un katra lai iet pie sava vīra. 3 Vīrs lai pilda laulības pienākumus pret savu sievu, tāpat arī sieva pret savu vīru. 4 Sievai nav varas pār savu miesu, bet vīram; tāpat arī vīram nav varas pār savu miesu, bet sievai. 5 Nenovērsieties viens no otra, kā vien savstarpēji vienojoties – uz laiku, lai atbrīvotu sevi lūgšanai un tad atkal varētu būt kopā, lai sātans jūs nekārdinātu, izmantodams jūsu nesavaldību. 6 To saku jums atvēlēdams, bet ne pavēlēdams. 7 Es gribu, lai visi cilvēki būtu tādi kā es, bet katram ir sava īpaša dāvana no Dieva, vienam tāda, otram citāda. 8 Es saku neprecētajiem un atraitnēm – tiem labi palikt tādiem pašiem kā es; 9 bet, ja nevar valdīties, lai precas, jo labāk ir precēties nekā degt kaislē. 10 Precētajiem es pieprasu – tomēr ne es, bet Kungs pieprasa – sievai no vīra nešķirties, 11 bet, ja tā šķirtos, lai paliek neprecēta vai arī lai izlīgst ar vīru; tāpat arī vīrs no sievas lai nešķiras. 12 Pārējiem nevis Kungs, bet es pats saku: ja kādam brālim ir neticīga sieva un viņa tomēr labprāt grib ar viņu dzīvot, lai viņš to neatstāj. 13 Un, ja kādai sievai ir neticīgs vīrs un viņš tomēr labprāt grib ar viņu dzīvot, lai viņa neatstāj savu vīru, 14 jo neticīgo vīru dara svētu viņa sieva un neticīgo sievu dara svētu ticīgais vīrs, jo citādi jūsu bērni ir nešķīsti, bet tagad tie ir svēti. 15 Ja nu neticīgais šķiras, lai šķiras, tādā gadījumā ticīgais vīrs vai sieva nav saistīti, jo Dievs jūs ir aicinājis mieram. 16 Kā tu zini, sieva, vai tu izglābsi savu vīru? Vai arī – kā tu zini, vīrs, vai tu izglābsi savu sievu?
Dzīve pēc aicinājuma
17 Vienīgi lai katrs dzīvo tā, kā Kungs tam ir iedalījis, palikdams tāds, kāds viņš bija, kad tika aicināts. Un to es pavēlu visām draudzēm. 18 Kas aicināts kā apgraizīts, lai necenšas kļūt kā neapgraizīts, bet tas, kas aicināts kā neapgraizīts, lai sevi neapgraiza. 19 Apgraizīšana nav nekas, arī neapgraizīšana nav nekas; svarīga ir Dieva baušļu turēšana. 20 Katrs lai paliek tāds, kāds bija, kad tika aicināts. 21 Ja tiki aicināts, vergs būdams, neesi nobažījies, bet, ja vien rodas iespēja tikt brīvam, izmanto to. 22 Kas, būdams vergs, tika aicināts Kungā, ir brīvlaistais Kungā, tāpat kā tas, kas, brīvs būdams, tika aicināts, ir Kristus vergs. 23 Jūs esat dārgi atpirkti, netopiet par cilvēku vergiem. 24 Ikviens, brāļi, lai paliek Dieva priekšā tāds, kāds viņš bija, kad tika aicināts.
Par precētiem un neprecētiem
25 Par neprecētajiem runājot, man nekādas Kunga pavēles nav, bet es dodu padomu kā tāds, kas Kunga žēlastībā ir atrasts uzticams. 26 Domāju, ka šā laika apstākļos cilvēkam ir labi palikt tādam, kāds viņš ir. 27 Ja esi saistīts ar sievu, nemeklē šķiršanos; ja esi neprecēts, nemeklē sievu. 28 Ja esi apprecējies, tu neesi grēkojis; vai arī, ja neprecētā izgājusi pie vīra, viņa nav grēkojusi; tomēr tādi piedzīvos miesas ciešanas, bet es jūs gribu pasaudzēt. 29 Bet to gan, brāļi, es jums saku: laiks sarūk. Turpmāk tie, kam ir sievas, lai ir tādi kā bez sievām; 30 raudošie lai ir kā tādi, kas neraud, priecīgie – kā tādi, kas nepriecājas, pircēji – kā tādi, kas nav ieguvuši; 31 tie, kas lieto šīs pasaules mantas, – kā tādi, kas nelieto, jo šīs pasaules veidols zūd. 32 Es gribu, lai jūs būtu bez rūpēm. Kas neprecējies, rūpējas par Kunga lietām, kā izpatikt Kungam, 33 bet precējies rūpējas par pasaules lietām, kā izpatikt sievai, 34 un ir dalīts. Neprecējusies sieviete un jaunava rūpējas par Kunga lietām, lai būtu svēta gan garā, gan miesā, bet precējusies rūpējas par pasaulīgām lietām, kā izpatikt vīram. 35 To es saku jūsu pašu labumam; ne lai jūs saistītu, bet lai jūsu dzīve būtu piedienīga un jūs neatslābstoši turētos pie Kunga. 36 Ja kāds domā, ka viņš dara pārestību savai neprecētajai meitai, kad viņa jau pāri plaukumam, un tā nu tam jānotiek, lai viņš dara, kā grib; tad viņš negrēko, un lai viņa precas. 37 Bet, kas paliek stingrs savā sirdī, kas nav spiests un valda pār savu gribu, un savā sirdī ir apņēmies saglabāt savu meitu neprecētu, tas darīs labi. 38 Tādējādi, kas izprecina savu jaunavu, dara labi, bet, kas neizprecina, dara labāk. 39 Sieva ir saistīta pie vīra, kamēr vīrs dzīvo, bet, kad viņš miris, tai ir brīv iziet pie cita vīra, pie kā vien viņa grib, bet tikai tai Kungā. 40 Pēc manām domām, viņa gan ir laimīgāka, ja vairs neizies pie vīra. Man šķiet, ka arī man ir Dieva Gars.
