Questions about Marriage
1 Now, to deal with the matters you wrote about.
A man does well not to marry. 2 But because there is so much immorality, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband. 3 A man should fulfill his duty as a husband, and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife, and each should satisfy the other's needs. 4 A wife is not the master of her own body, but her husband is; in the same way a husband is not the master of his own body, but his wife is. 5 Do not deny yourselves to each other, unless you first agree to do so for a while in order to spend your time in prayer; but then resume normal marital relations. In this way you will be kept from giving in to Satan's temptation because of your lack of self-control.
6 I tell you this not as an order, but simply as a permission. 7 Actually I would prefer that all of you were as I am; but each one has a special gift from God, one person this gift, another one that gift.
8 Now, to the unmarried and to the widows I say that it would be better for you to continue to live alone as I do. 9 But if you cannot restrain your desires, go ahead and marry—it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 For married people I have a command which is not my own but the Lord's: a wife must not leave her husband; 11 but if she does, she must remain single or else be reconciled to her husband; and a husband must not divorce his wife.
12 To the others I say (I, myself, not the Lord): if a Christian man has a wife who is an unbeliever and she agrees to go on living with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a Christian woman is married to a man who is an unbeliever and he agrees to go on living with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made acceptable to God by being united to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made acceptable to God by being united to her Christian husband. If this were not so, their children would be like pagan children; but as it is, they are acceptable to God. 15 However, if the one who is not a believer wishes to leave the Christian partner, let it be so. In such cases the Christian partner, whether husband or wife, is free to act. God has called you to live in peace. 16 How can you be sure, Christian wife, that you will not save your husband? Or how can you be sure, Christian husband, that you will not save your wife?
Live As God Called You
17 Each of you should go on living according to the Lord's gift to you, and as you were when God called you. This is the rule I teach in all the churches. 18 If a circumcised man has accepted God's call, he should not try to remove the marks of circumcision; if an uncircumcised man has accepted God's call, he should not get circumcised. 19 For whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing; what matters is to obey God's commandments. 20 Each of you should remain as you were when you accepted God's call. 21 Were you a slave when God called you? Well, never mind; but if you have a chance to become free, use it. 22 For a slave who has been called by the Lord is the Lord's free person; in the same way a free person who has been called by Christ is his slave. 23 God bought you for a price; so do not become slaves of people. 24 My friends, each of you should remain in fellowship with God in the same condition that you were when you were called.
Questions about the Unmarried and the Widows
25 Now, concerning what you wrote about unmarried people: I do not have a command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is worthy of trust.
26 Considering the present distress, I think it is better for a man to stay as he is. 27 Do you have a wife? Then don't try to get rid of her. Are you unmarried? Then don't look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you haven't committed a sin; and if an unmarried woman marries, she hasn't committed a sin. But I would rather spare you the everyday troubles that married people will have.
29 What I mean, my friends, is this: there is not much time left, and from now on married people should live as though they were not married; 30 those who weep, as though they were not sad; those who laugh, as though they were not happy; those who buy, as though they did not own what they bought; 31 those who deal in material goods, as though they were not fully occupied with them. For this world, as it is now, will not last much longer.
32 I would like you to be free from worry. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's work, because he is trying to please the Lord. 33 But a married man concerns himself with worldly matters, because he wants to please his wife; 34 and so he is pulled in two directions. An unmarried woman or a virgin concerns herself with the Lord's work, because she wants to be dedicated both in body and spirit; but a married woman concerns herself with worldly matters, because she wants to please her husband.
35 I am saying this because I want to help you. I am not trying to put restrictions on you. Instead, I want you to do what is right and proper, and to give yourselves completely to the Lord's service without any reservation.
36 In the case of an engaged couple who have decided not to marry: if the man feels that he is not acting properly toward the young woman and if his passions are too strong and he feels that they ought to marry, then they should get married, as he wants to. There is no sin in this. 37 But if a man, without being forced to do so, has firmly made up his mind not to marry, and if he has his will under complete control and has already decided in his own mind what to do—then he does well not to marry the young woman. 38 So the man who marries does well, but the one who doesn't marry does even better.
39 A married woman is not free as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, then she is free to be married to any man she wishes, but only if he is a Christian. 40 She will be happier, however, if she stays as she is. That is my opinion, and I think that I too have God's Spirit.
1 Bet attiecībā uz to, ko man rakstījāt, - cilvēkam ir labi sievu neaizskart. 2 Bet netiklības novēršanas labā lai katram ir sava sieva un katrai sievai savs vīrs. 3 Vīrs lai izpilda savu pienākumu pret sievu un sieva pret vīru. 4 Sievai nav noteikšana par savu miesu, bet vīram; un tāpat vīram nav noteikšana par savu miesu, bet sievai. 5 Neatraujieties viens otram, kā vien uz kādu laiku pēc pašu vienošanās, lai atrastu laiku Dieva lūgšanai, un tad turieties atkal kopā, lai sātans jūs nekārdinātu jūsu nesavaldības dēļ. 6 Bet to es saku piekāpdamies un ne pavēlēdams. 7 Bet es gribētu, lai visi cilvēki būtu kā es; tomēr tur katram ir sava Dieva dota dāvana, vienam tāda, otram citāda. 8 Bet neprecētiem un atraitnēm es saku: ir labi, ja tie paliek tādi kā es. 9 Bet, ja tie nevar atturēties, tad lai dodas laulībā, jo labāk iedoties laulībā nekā kaist kārībā. 10 Bet laulātiem es pavēlu, tomēr ne es, bet Tas Kungs: sievai nešķirties no vīra, 11 un, ja tā ir atšķīrusies, tad tai palikt neprecētai vai izlīgt ar savu vīru; un vīram neatstumt sievu. 12 Bet pārējiem saku es, ne Tas Kungs: ja kādam brālim ir neticīga sieva un tā vēlas ar viņu kopā dzīvot, tad viņam to nebūs atstumt. 13 Un, ja kādai sievai ir neticīgs vīrs un tas vēlas ar viņu kopā dzīvot, tad viņai to nebūs atstumt. 14 Jo neticīgais vīrs ir svētīts caur sievu, un neticīgā sieva ir svētīta caur vīru; jo citādi jūsu bērni būtu nešķīsti, bet tagad tie ir svēti. 15 Ja neticīgais šķiras, lai tas šķiras; tādā gadījumā brālis vai māsa nav saistīti; jo uz mieru Dievs mūs ir aicinājis. 16 Kā tu, sieva, zini, vai varēsi izglābt savu vīru? Jeb kā tu, vīrs, zini, vai varēsi izglābt savu sievu? 17 Tik katrs lai dzīvo tā, kā Tas Kungs tam piešķīris viņa daļu un kā Dievs kuru ir aicinājis. To es tā noteicu visās draudzēs. 18 Ja kāds aicināts, būdams apgraizīts, lai to neslēpj. Ja kāds aicināts kā neapgraizīts, lai netiek apgraizīts. 19 Apgraizīšana vai neapgraizīšana par sevi nav nekas, bet galvenais ir Dieva baušļu pildīšana. 20 Ikviens lai paliek tai stāvoklī, kurā tas aicināts. 21 Ja esi aicināts, vergs būdams, neskumsti par to! Bet, ja vari kļūt brīvs, tad labāk kļūsti. 22 Jo, kas ir aicināts par Tā Kunga mācekli, vergs būdams, tas ir Tā Kunga atbrīvots; tāpat, ja kas aicināts, brīvs būdams, tas ir Kristus vergs. 23 Jūs esat dārgi atpirkti, netopiet par cilvēku vergiem. 24 Katrs, brāļi, lai paliek tai stāvoklī Dieva priekšā, kurā tas aicināts. 25 Bet, kas attiecas uz jaunavām, tur man nav mūsu Kunga pavēles; es izsaku tikai savas domas kā tāds, kam Tas Kungs piešķīris Savā žēlastībā uzticību. 26 Tā man šķiet, ka tagadējā bēdu laikā ir cilvēkam labi palikt tāpat. 27 Ja esi jau saistījies ar sievu, nemeklē šķiršanos; ja esi bez sievas, nemeklē sievu. 28 Bet, ja tu arī dodies laulībā, tas nav grēks, un, ja jaunava dodas laulībā, tā negrēko; tādiem savas miesas bēdas gan būs, bet es jūs gribētu saudzēt. 29 Bet to, brāļi, es saku: laiks ir īss. Tādēļ turpmāk precētie lai ir kā neprecēti; 30 un kas raud, kā tādi, kas neraud; un kas priecājas, kā tādi, kas nepriecājas; un kas pērk, kā tādi, kas to negrib paturēt; 31 un kas šo pasauli lieto, kā tādi, kas to nelieto, jo šīs pasaules kārtība paiet. 32 Bet es gribu, ka jūs būtu bez zūdīšanās. Neprecētais rūpējas par Tā Kunga lietām, kā patikt Tam Kungam. 33 Bet precētais rūpējas par pasaules lietām, kā patikt sievai: viņa sirds ir dalīta. 34 Tāpat neprecētā un jaunava rūpējas par Tā Kunga lietām, lai būtu svēta miesā un garā; bet precētā rūpējas par pasaules lietām, lai patiktu vīram. 35 To es saku jums pašiem par labu, ne it kā gribēdams jums apmest cilpu, bet ka jūs godīgi dzīvojat un pie Tā Kunga turaties bez mitēšanās. 36 Bet, ja kam šķiet, ka tas nodara pārestību savai jaunavai, ja tā paliek pāri par gadiem, un ja tam tā jānotiek, lai viņš dara, kā grib; viņš negrēko; lai tie iedodas laulībā. 37 Bet, kas ir noteikts savā sirdī un kam nav vajadzības, bet ir pietiekoši gribasspēka un arī sirdī nolēmis paturēt savu jaunavu neprecētu, tas dara labi. 38 Tātad, kas savu jaunavu izprecina, dara labi, bet, kas neizprecina, dara labāk. 39 Sieva ir saistīta, kamēr viņas vīrs dzīvo. Bet, ja vīrs ir miris, tad viņa ir brīva un var apprecēties, ar ko vēlas, bet tikai turoties pie Tā Kunga. 40 Bet svētīgāka, pēc manām domām, tā ir, ja tā paliek tāpat. Es domāju, ka arī man ir Dieva Gars.
