1 Corinthians 7
1 With reference to the subjects about which you wrote to me: It is good for a man to remain single.
περι δε ων εγραψατε μοι καλον ανθρωπω γυναικος μη απτεσθαι
2 But, owing to the prevalence of immorality, I advise every man to have his own wife, and every woman her husband.
δια δε τας πορνειας εκαστος την εαυτου γυναικα εχετω και εκαστη τον ιδιον ανδρα εχετω
3 A husband should give his wife her due, and a wife her husband.
τη γυναικι ο ανηρ την οφειλομενην ευνοιαν αποδιδοτω ομοιως δε και η γυνη τω ανδρι
4 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.
η γυνη του ιδιου σωματος ουκ εξουσιαζει αλλ ο ανηρ ομοιως δε και ο ανηρ του ιδιου σωματος ουκ εξουσιαζει αλλ η γυνη
5 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 until you again live as man and wife – otherwise Satan might take advantage of your want of self-control and tempt you.
μη αποστερειτε αλληλους ει μη τι αν εκ συμφωνου προς καιρον ινα σχολαζητε τη νηστεια και τη προσευχη και παλιν επι το αυτο συνερχησθε ινα μη πειραζη υμας ο σατανας δια την ακρασιαν υμων
6 I say this, however, as a concession, not as a command.
τουτο δε λεγω κατα συγγνωμην ου κατ επιταγην
7 I should wish everyone to be just what I am myself. But everyone has his own gift from God – one in one way, and one in another.
θελω γαρ παντας ανθρωπους ειναι ως και εμαυτον αλλ εκαστος ιδιον χαρισμα εχει εκ θεου ος μεν ουτως ος δε ουτως
8 My advice, then, to those who are not married, and to widows, is this: It would be good for them to remain as I am myself.
λεγω δε τοις αγαμοις και ταις χηραις καλον αυτοις εστιν εαν μεινωσιν ως καγω
9 But, if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be consumed with passion.
ει δε ουκ εγκρατευονται γαμησατωσαν κρεισσον γαρ εστιν γαμησαι η πυρουσθαι
10 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
τοις δε γεγαμηκοσιν παραγγελλω ουκ εγω αλλ ο κυριος γυναικα απο ανδρος μη χωρισθηναι
11 (If she has done so, she should remain as she is, or else be reconciled to her husband) and also that a man is not to divorce his wife.
εαν δε και χωρισθη μενετω αγαμος η τω ανδρι καταλλαγητω και ανδρα γυναικα μη αφιεναι
12 To all others I say – I, not the Master – If a follower of the Lord is married to a woman, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with him, he should not divorce her;
τοις δε λοιποις εγω λεγω ουχ ο κυριος ει τις αδελφος γυναικα εχει απιστον και αυτη συνευδοκει οικειν μετ αυτου μη αφιετω αυτην
13 and a woman who is married to a man, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with her, should not divorce her husband.
και γυνη ει τις εχει ανδρα απιστον και αυτος συνευδοκει οικειν μετ αυτης μη αφιετω αυτον
14 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 the Lord’s follower whom she has married. Otherwise your children would be “defiled,” but, as it is, they belong to Christ’s people.
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
15 However, if the unbeliever wishes to be separated, let them be so. Under such circumstances neither is bound; God has called you to live in peace.
ει δε ο απιστος χωριζεται χωριζεσθω ου δεδουλωται ο αδελφος η η αδελφη εν τοις τοιουτοις εν δε ειρηνη κεκληκεν ημας ο θεος
16 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?
τι γαρ οιδας γυναι ει τον ανδρα σωσεις η τι οιδας ανερ ει την γυναικα σωσεις
17 In any case, a person should continue to live in the condition which the Lord has allotted to them, and in which they were when God called them. This is the rule that I lay down in every church.
ει μη εκαστω ως εμερισεν ο θεος εκαστον ως κεκληκεν ο κυριος ουτως περιπατειτω και ουτως εν ταις εκκλησιαις πασαις διατασσομαι
18 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.
περιτετμημενος τις εκληθη μη επισπασθω εν ακροβυστια τις εκληθη μη περιτεμνεσθω
19 Circumcision is nothing; the want of it is nothing; but to keep the commands of God is everything.
η περιτομη ουδεν εστιν και η ακροβυστια ουδεν εστιν αλλα τηρησις εντολων θεου
20 Let everyone remain in that condition of life in which they were when the call came to them.
εκαστος εν τη κλησει η εκληθη εν ταυτη μενετω
21 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.
δουλος εκληθης μη σοι μελετω αλλ ει και δυνασαι ελευθερος γενεσθαι μαλλον χρησαι
22 For the person who was a slave when they were called to the master’s service is the Master’s freedman; so, too, the person who was free when called is Christ’s slave.
ο γαρ εν κυριω κληθεις δουλος απελευθερος κυριου εστιν ομοιως και ο ελευθερος κληθεις δουλος εστιν χριστου
23 You were bought, and the price was paid. Do not let yourselves become slaves to people.
τιμης ηγορασθητε μη γινεσθε δουλοι ανθρωπων
24 Friends, let everyone remain in the condition in which they were when they were called, in close communion with God.
εκαστος εν ω εκληθη αδελφοι εν τουτω μενετω παρα τω θεω
25 With regard to unmarried women, I have no command from the Master to give you, but I tell you my opinion, and the Master in his mercy has made me worthy to be trusted.
περι δε των παρθενων επιταγην κυριου ουκ εχω γνωμην δε διδωμι ως ηλεημενος υπο κυριου πιστος ειναι
26 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.
νομιζω ουν τουτο καλον υπαρχειν δια την ενεστωσαν αναγκην οτι καλον ανθρωπω το ουτως ειναι
27 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.
δεδεσαι γυναικι μη ζητει λυσιν λελυσαι απο γυναικος μη ζητει γυναικα
28 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.
εαν δε και γημης ουχ ημαρτες και εαν γημη η παρθενος ουχ ημαρτεν θλιψιν δε τη σαρκι εξουσιν οι τοιουτοι εγω δε υμων φειδομαι
29 What I mean, friends, is this – the time is short. Meanwhile, let those who have wives live as if they had none,
τουτο δε φημι αδελφοι ο καιρος συνεσταλμενος το λοιπον εστιν ινα και οι εχοντες γυναικας ως μη εχοντες ωσιν
30 those who are weeping as if not weeping, those who are rejoicing as if not rejoicing, those who buy as if not possessing,
και οι κλαιοντες ως μη κλαιοντες και οι χαιροντες ως μη χαιροντες και οι αγοραζοντες ως μη κατεχοντες
31 and those who use the good things of the world as using them sparingly; for this world as we see it is passing away.
και οι χρωμενοι τω κοσμω τουτω ως μη καταχρωμενοι παραγει γαρ το σχημα του κοσμου τουτου
32 I want you to be free from anxiety. The unmarried man is anxious about the Master’s cause, desiring to please him;
θελω δε υμας αμεριμνους ειναι ο αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου πως αρεσει τω κυριω
33 while the married man is anxious about worldly matters, desiring to please his wife;
ο δε γαμησας μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τη γυναικι
34 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.
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
35 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.
τουτο δε προς το υμων αυτων συμφερον λεγω ουχ ινα βροχον υμιν επιβαλω αλλα προς το ευσχημον και ευπαρεδρον τω κυριω απερισπαστως
36 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, he should act as he thinks right. He is doing nothing wrong – let the marriage take place.
ει δε τις ασχημονειν επι την παρθενον αυτου νομιζει εαν η υπερακμος και ουτως οφειλει γινεσθαι ο θελει ποιειτω ουχ αμαρτανει γαμειτωσαν
37 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.
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
38 In short, the one who consents to his daughter’s marriage is doing right, and yet the other will be doing better.
ωστε και ο εκγαμιζων καλως ποιει ο δε μη εκγαμιζων κρεισσον ποιει
39 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 anyone she wishes, provided he is a believer.
γυνη δεδεται νομω εφ οσον χρονον ζη ο ανηρ αυτης εαν δε κοιμηθη ο ανηρ αυτης ελευθερα εστιν ω θελει γαμηθηναι μονον εν κυριω
40 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.
μακαριωτερα δε εστιν εαν ουτως μεινη κατα την εμην γνωμην δοκω δε καγω πνευμα θεου εχειν
