Προς Κορινθιους Α΄ 7
1 περι δε ων εγραψατε μοι καλον ανθρωπω γυναικος μη απτεσθαι
I now deal with the subjects mentioned in your letter. It is well for a man to abstain altogether from marriage.
2 δια δε τας πορνειας εκαστος την εαυτου γυναικα εχετω και εκαστη τον ιδιον ανδρα εχετω
But because there is so much fornication every man should have a wife of his own, and every woman should have a husband.
3 τη γυναικι ο ανηρ την οφειλομενην ευνοιαν αποδιδοτω ομοιως δε και η γυνη τω ανδρι
Let a man pay his wife her due, and let a woman also pay her husband his.
4 η γυνη του ιδιου σωματος ουκ εξουσιαζει αλλ ο ανηρ ομοιως δε και ο ανηρ του ιδιου σωματος ουκ εξουσιαζει αλλ η γυνη
A married woman is not mistress of her own person: her husband has certain rights. In the same way a married man is not master of his own person: his wife has certain rights.
5 μη αποστερειτε αλληλους ει μητι αν εκ συμφωνου προς καιρον ινα σχολαζητε τη νηστεια και τη προσευχη και παλιν επι το αυτο συνερχεσθε ινα μη πειραζη υμας ο σατανας δια την ακρασιαν υμων
Do not refuse one another, unless perhaps it is just for a time and by mutual consent, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer and may then associate again; lest the Adversary begin to tempt you because of your deficiency in self-control.
6 τουτο δε λεγω κατα συγγνωμην ου κατ επιταγην
Thus much in the way of concession, not of command.
7 θελω γαρ παντας ανθρωπους ειναι ως και εμαυτον αλλ εκαστος ιδιον χαρισμα εχει εκ θεου ος μεν ουτως ος δε ουτως
Yet I would that everybody lived as I do; but each of us has his own special gift from God--one in one direction and one in another.
8 λεγω δε τοις αγαμοις και ταις χηραις καλον αυτοις εστιν εαν μεινωσιν ως καγω
But I tell the unmarried, and women who are widows, that it is well for them to remain as I am.
9 ει δε ουκ εγκρατευονται γαμησατωσαν κρεισσον γαρ εστιν γαμησαι η πυρουσθαι
If, however, they cannot maintain self-control, by all means let them marry; for marriage is better than the fever of passion.
10 τοις δε γεγαμηκοσιν παραγγελλω ουκ εγω αλλ ο κυριος γυναικα απο ανδρος μη χωρισθηναι
But to those already married my instructions are--yet not mine, but the Lord's--that a wife is not to leave her husband;
11 εαν δε και χωρισθη μενετω αγαμος η τω ανδρι καταλλαγητω και ανδρα γυναικα μη αφιεναι
or if she has already left him, let her either remain as she is or be reconciled to him; and that a husband is not to send away his wife.
12 τοις δε λοιποις εγω λεγω ουχ ο κυριος ει τις αδελφος γυναικα εχει απιστον και αυτη συνευδοκει οικειν μετ αυτου μη αφιετω αυτην
To the rest it is I who speak--not the Lord. If a brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, let him not send her away.
13 και γυνη ητις εχει ανδρα απιστον και αυτος συνευδοκει οικειν μετ αυτης μη αφιετω αυτον
And a woman who has an unbelieving husband--if he consents to live with her, let her not separate from him.
14 ηγιασται γαρ ο ανηρ ο απιστος εν τη γυναικι και ηγιασται η γυνη η απιστος εν τω ανδρι επει αρα τα τεκνα υμων ακαθαρτα εστιν νυν δε αγια εστιν
For, in such cases, the unbelieving husband has become--and is--holy through union with a Christian woman, and the unbelieving wife is holy through union with a Christian brother. Otherwise your children would be unholy, but in reality they have a place among God's people.
15 ει δε ο απιστος χωριζεται χωριζεσθω ου δεδουλωται ο αδελφος η η αδελφη εν τοις τοιουτοις εν δε ειρηνη κεκληκεν ημας ο θεος
If, however, the unbeliever is determined to leave, let him or her do so. Under such circumstances the Christian man or woman is no slave; God has called us to live lives of peace.
16 τι γαρ οιδας γυναι ει τον ανδρα σωσεις η τι οιδας ανερ ει την γυναικα σωσεις
For what assurance have you, O woman, as to whether you will save your husband? Or what assurance have you, O man, as to whether you will save your wife?
17 ει μη εκαστω ως εμερισεν ο θεος εκαστον ως κεκληκεν ο κυριος ουτως περιπατειτω και ουτως εν ταις εκκλησιαις πασαις διατασσομαι
Only, whatever be the condition in life which the Lord has assigned to each individual--and whatever the condition in which he was living when God called him--in that let him continue.
18 περιτετμημενος τις εκληθη μη επισπασθω εν ακροβυστια τις εκληθη μη περιτεμνεσθω
This is what I command in all the Churches. Was any one already circumcised when called? Let him not have recourse to the surgeons. Was any one uncircumcised when called? Let him remain uncircumcised.
19 η περιτομη ουδεν εστιν και η ακροβυστια ουδεν εστιν αλλα τηρησις εντολων θεου
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing: obedience to God's commandments is everything.
20 εκαστος εν τη κλησει η εκληθη εν ταυτη μενετω
Whatever be the condition in life in which a man was, when he was called, in that let him continue.
21 δουλος εκληθης μη σοι μελετω αλλ ει και δυνασαι ελευθερος γενεσθαι μαλλον χρησαι
Were you a slave when God called you? Let not that weigh on your mind. And yet if you can get your freedom, take advantage of the opportunity.
22 ο γαρ εν κυριω κληθεις δουλος απελευθερος κυριου εστιν ομοιως και ο ελευθερος κληθεις δουλος εστιν χριστου
For a Christian, if he was a slave when called, is the Lord's freed man, and in the same way a free man, if called, becomes the slave of Christ.
23 τιμης ηγορασθητε μη γινεσθε δουλοι ανθρωπων
You have all been redeemed at infinite cost: do not become slaves to men.
24 εκαστος εν ω εκληθη αδελφοι εν τουτω μενετω παρα θεω
Where each one stood when he was called, there, brethren, let him still stand--close to God.
25 περι δε των παρθενων επιταγην κυριου ουκ εχω γνωμην δε διδωμι ως ηλεημενος υπο κυριου πιστος ειναι
Concerning unmarried women I have no command to give you from the Lord; but I offer you my opinion, which is that of a man who, through the Lord's mercy, is deserving of your confidence.
26 νομιζω ουν τουτο καλον υπαρχειν δια την ενεστωσαν αναγκην οτι καλον ανθρωπω το ουτως ειναι
I think then that, taking into consideration the distress which is now upon us, it is well for a man to remain as he is.
27 δεδεσαι γυναικι μη ζητει λυσιν λελυσαι απο γυναικος μη ζητει γυναικα
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to get free. Are you free from the marriage bond? Do not seek for a wife.
28 εαν δε και γημης ουχ ημαρτες και εαν γημη η παρθενος ουχ ημαρτεν θλιψιν δε τη σαρκι εξουσιν οι τοιουτοι εγω δε υμων φειδομαι
Yet if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a maiden marries, she has not sinned. Such people, however, will have outward trouble. But I am for sparing you.
29 τουτο δε φημι αδελφοι ο καιρος συνεσταλμενος το λοιπον εστιν ινα και οι εχοντες γυναικας ως μη εχοντες ωσιν
Yet of this I warn you, brethren: the time has been shortened--so that henceforth those who have wives should be as though they had none,
30 και οι κλαιοντες ως μη κλαιοντες και οι χαιροντες ως μη χαιροντες και οι αγοραζοντες ως μη κατεχοντες
those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess,
31 και οι χρωμενοι τω κοσμω τουτω ως μη καταχρωμενοι παραγει γαρ το σχημα του κοσμου τουτου
and those who use the world as not using it to the full. For the world as it now exists is passing away.
32 θελω δε υμας αμεριμνους ειναι ο αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου πως αρεσει τω κυριω
And I would have you free from worldly anxiety. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's business--how he shall please the Lord;
33 ο δε γαμησας μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τη γυναικι
but a married man concerns himself with the business of the world--how he shall please his wife.
34 μεμερισται και η γυνη και η παρθενος η αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου ινα η αγια και σωματι και πνευματι η δε γαμησασα μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τω ανδρι
There is a difference too between a married and an unmarried woman. She who is unmarried concerns herself with the Lord's business--that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but the married woman concerns herself with the business of the world--how she shall please her husband.
35 τουτο δε προς το υμων αυτων συμφερον λεγω ουχ ινα βροχον υμιν επιβαλω αλλα προς το ευσχημον και ευπροσεδρον τω κυριω απερισπαστως
Thus much I say in your own interest; not to lay a trap for you, but to help towards what is becoming, and enable you to wait on the Lord without distraction.
36 ει δε τις ασχημονειν επι την παρθενον αυτου νομιζει εαν η υπερακμος και ουτως οφειλει γινεσθαι ο θελει ποιειτω ουχ αμαρτανει γαμειτωσαν
If, however, a father thinks he is acting unbecomingly towards his still unmarried daughter if she be past the bloom of her youth, and so the matter is urgent, let him do what she desires; he commits no sin; she and her suitor should be allowed to marry.
37 ος δε εστηκεν εδραιος εν τη καρδια μη εχων αναγκην εξουσιαν δε εχει περι του ιδιου θεληματος και τουτο κεκρικεν εν τη καρδια αυτου του τηρειν την εαυτου παρθενον καλως ποιει
But if a father stands firm in his resolve, being free from all external constraint and having a legal right to act as he pleases, and in his own mind has come to the decision to keep his daughter unmarried, he will do well.
38 ωστε και ο εκγαμιζων καλως ποιει ο δε μη εκγαμιζων κρεισσον ποιει
So that he who gives his daughter in marriage does well, and yet he who does not give her in marriage will do better.
39 γυνη δεδεται νομω εφ οσον χρονον ζη ο ανηρ αυτης εαν δε και κοιμηθη ο ανηρ ελευθερα εστιν ω θελει γαμηθηναι μονον εν κυριω
A woman is bound to her husband during the whole period that he lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to marry whom she will, provided that he is a Christian.
40 μακαριωτερα δε εστιν εαν ουτως μεινη κατα την εμην γνωμην δοκω δε καγω πνευμα θεου εχειν
But in my judgement, her state is a more enviable one if she remains as she is; and I also think that I have the Spirit of God.
