En cuanto a las cosas de que me escribisteis, bueno es para el hombre^a no tocar mujer. 2 No obstante, por razón de las inmoralidades, que cada uno tenga su propia mujer, y cada una tenga su propio marido. 3 Que el marido cumpla su deber para con su mujer, e igualmente la mujer lo cumpla con el marido. 4 La mujer no tiene autoridad sobre su propio cuerpo, sino el marido. Y asimismo el marido no tiene autoridad sobre su propio cuerpo, sino la mujer. 5 No os privéis el uno del otro^a, excepto de común acuerdo y por cierto¹ tiempo, para dedicaros a la oración; volved después a juntaros² a fin de que Satanás^b no os tiente por causa de vuestra falta de dominio propio. 6 Mas esto digo por vía de concesión, no como una orden^a. 7 Sin embargo¹, yo desearía que todos los hombres fueran como yo^a. No obstante, cada cual ha recibido² de Dios su propio don^b, uno de una manera y otro de otra.

8 A los solteros y a las viudas digo que es bueno para ellos^a si se quedan como yo^b. 9 Pero si carecen de dominio propio, cásense^a; que mejor es casarse que quemarse. 10 A los casados instruyo, no yo, sino el Señor^a: que la mujer no debe dejar al¹ marido 11 (pero si lo deja, quédese sin casar, o de lo contrario que se reconcilie con su marido), y que el marido no abandone a su mujer. 12 Pero a los demás digo yo, no el Señor^a, que si un hermano tiene una mujer que no es creyente, y ella consiente en vivir con él, no la abandone. 13 Y la mujer cuyo marido no es creyente, y él consiente en vivir con ella, no abandone a su marido. 14 Porque el marido que no es creyente es santificado por medio de su mujer; y la mujer que no es creyente es santificada por medio de su marido creyente¹; de otra manera vuestros hijos serían inmundos, mas ahora son santos^a. 15 Sin embargo, si el que no es creyente se separa, que se separe; en tales casos el hermano o la hermana no están obligados¹, sino que Dios nos² ha llamado para vivir en paz^a. 16 Pues ¿cómo sabes tú, mujer, si salvarás a tu marido? ¿O cómo sabes tú, marido, si salvarás a tu mujer^a?

17 Fuera de esto¹, según el Señor ha asignado a cada uno^a, según Dios llamó a cada cual, así ande. Y esto ordeno en todas las iglesias^b. 18 ¿Fue llamado alguno ya circuncidado? Quédese circuncidado¹. ¿Fue llamado alguno estando incircuncidado²? No se circuncide^a. 19 La circuncisión nada es, y nada es la incircuncisión^a, sino el guardar los mandamientos de Dios^b. 20 Cada uno permanezca en la condición¹ en que fue llamado^a. 21 ¿Fuiste llamado siendo esclavo? No te preocupes; aunque si puedes obtener tu libertad¹, prefiérelo². 22 Porque el que fue llamado por¹ el Señor siendo esclavo, liberto es del Señor^a; de la misma manera, el que fue llamado siendo libre, esclavo es de Cristo^b. 23 Comprados fuisteis por precio^a; no os hagáis esclavos de los hombres. 24 Hermanos, cada uno permanezca con Dios en la condición¹ en que fue llamado^a.

25 En cuanto a las doncellas¹ no tengo mandamiento del Señor^a, pero doy mi opinión como el que habiendo recibido la misericordia del Señor^b es digno de confianza. 26 Creo, pues, que esto es bueno en vista de la presente¹ aflicción^a; es decir, que es bueno que el hombre^b se quede como está². 27 ¿Estás unido¹ a mujer? No procures separarte². ¿Estás libre de mujer? No busques mujer. 28 Pero si te casas, no has pecado; y si una doncella se casa, no ha pecado. Sin embargo, ellos¹ tendrán problemas en esta vida², y yo os los quiero evitar. 29 Mas esto digo, hermanos: el tiempo ha sido acortado^a; de modo que de ahora en adelante los que tienen mujer sean como si no la tuvieran; 30 y los que lloran, como si no lloraran; y los que se regocijan, como si no se regocijaran; y los que compran, como si no tuvieran nada; 31 y los que aprovechan el mundo, como si no lo aprovecharan plenamente^a; porque la apariencia de este mundo es pasajera^b. 32 Mas quiero que estéis libres de preocupación. El soltero se preocupa por las cosas del Señor, cómo puede agradar al Señor^a; 33 pero el casado se preocupa por las cosas del mundo, de cómo agradar a su mujer, 34 y sus intereses están divididos. Y la mujer que no está casada y la doncella se preocupan¹ por las cosas del Señor, para ser santas tanto en cuerpo como en espíritu; pero la casada se preocupa por las cosas del mundo, de cómo agradar a su marido. 35 Y esto digo para vuestro propio beneficio; no para poneros restricción, sino para promover lo que es honesto y para asegurar vuestra constante devoción al Señor.

36 Pero si alguno cree que no está obrando correctamente con respecto a su hija virgen, si ella es de edad madura, y si es necesario que así se haga, que haga lo que quiera, no peca; que se case¹. 37 Pero el que está firme en su corazón, y sin presión alguna¹, y tiene control sobre² su propia voluntad, y ha decidido en su corazón conservar soltera³ a su hija, bien hará. 38 Así los dos, el que da en matrimonio a su hija virgen, hace bien; y el que no la da en matrimonio, hace mejor.

39 La mujer está ligada mientras el marido vive; pero si el marido muere¹, está en libertad^a de casarse con quien desee,solo que en el Señor^b. 40 Pero en mi opinión^a, será más feliz si se queda como está; y creo que yo también tengo el Espíritu de Dios.

Now as to the matters of which you wrote: It is ^agood (beneficial, advantageous) for a man not to touch a woman outside marriage. 2 But because of the temptation to participate in sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 The husband must fulfill his marital duty to his wife with good will and kindness, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have exclusive authority over her own body, but the husband shares with her; and likewise the husband does not have exclusive authority over his body, but the wife shares with him. 5 ^aDo not deprive each other of marital rights, except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves unhindered to prayer, but come together again so that ^bSatan will not tempt you to sin because of your lack of self-control. 6 But I am saying this as a concession, ^anot as a command. 7 I wish that all the people were ^aas I am; but ^beach person has his own gift from God, one of this kind and one of that.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, that as a practical matter it is ^agood if they remain single and entirely devoted to the Lord ^1bas I am. 9 But if they do not have sufficient self-control, ^athey should marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 But to the ¹married believers I give instructions—^anot I, but the Lord—that the wife is not to separate from her husband, 11 (but even if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be ¹reconciled to her husband) and that the husband should not leave his wife.

12 To the ¹rest ^aI declare—I, not the Lord since Jesus did not discuss this—that if any believing brother has a wife who does not believe in Christ, and she consents to live with him, he must not leave her. 13 And if any believing woman has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not leave him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is ¹sanctified that is, he receives the blessings granted through his Christian wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be ceremonially ²unclean, but as it is they are ^aholy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him leave. In such cases the remaining brother or sister is not spiritually or morally bound. But God has called us ^ato ¹peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will ^asave your husband by leading him to Christ? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife by leading her to Christ?

17 Only, let each one live the life which ^athe Lord has assigned him, and to which God has called him for each person is unique and is accountable for his choices and conduct, let him walk in this way. ^bThis is the rule I make in ^call the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his calling from God already circumcised? He is not to ¹become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called while uncircumcised? ^2aHe is not to be circumcised. Gal 5:1-3 19 ^aCircumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is ^bkeeping the commandments of God. 20 ^aEach one should remain in the condition in which he was when he was called.

21 Were you a slave when you were called? Do not worry about that since your status as a believer is ¹equal to that of a freeborn believer; but if you are able to gain your freedom, ²do that. 22 For he who was a slave when he was called in the Lord is a ^afreedman of the Lord, likewise he who was free when he was called is a ^bslave of Christ. 23 ^aYou were bought with a price a precious price paid by Christ; do not become slaves to men but to Christ. 24 Brothers, let ^aeach one remain with God in that condition in which he was when he was called.

25 Now concerning the virgins of marriageable age I have ^ano command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who ^bby the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 I think then that because of the impending ^adistress that is, the pressure of the current trouble, ^bit is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you ¹unmarried? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned in doing so; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned in doing so. Yet those who marry will have troubles (special challenges) in this life, and I am trying to spare you that. 29 But I say this, believers: ^athe ¹time has been shortened, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they did not; 30 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 anything; 31 and those who use the world taking advantage of its opportunities, as though they did not ^amake full use of it. For ^bthe outward form of this world its present social and material nature is passing away.

32 But I want you to be free from concern. The ^aunmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but the married man is concerned about worldly things, how he may please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or the virgin is concerned about the matters of the Lord, how to be holy and set apart both in body and in spirit; but a married woman is concerned about worldly things, how she may please her husband. 35 Now I say this for your own benefit; not to restrict you, but to promote what is appropriate and secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

36 But if any man thinks that he is not acting properly and honorably toward his virgin daughter, ¹by not permitting her to marry, if she is ²past her youth, and it must be so, let him do as he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry. 37 But the man who stands firmly committed in his heart, having no compulsion to yield to his daughter’s request, and has authority over his own will, and has decided in his own heart to keep his own virgin daughter from being married, he will do well. 38 So then both the father who gives his virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

39 ^aA wife is bound to her husband by law as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she wishes, only provided that he too is ^bin the Lord. 40 But ^ain my opinion a widow is happier if she stays as she is. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God in this matter.