1 Corinthians 7
1 Now [I will reply to] the things that you wrote to me about. It is good for people not to get married.
aparañca yuṣmābhi rmāṁ prati yat patramalekhi tasyottarametat, yoṣito'sparśanaṁ manujasya varaṁ;
2 But because many people are committing sexual immorality, [which God detests], every man should have his own wife [with whom he can have sexual relations], and every woman should have her own husband [with whom she can have sexual relations].
kintu vyabhicārabhayād ekaikasya puṁsaḥ svakīyabhāryyā bhavatu tadvad ekaikasyā yoṣito 'pi svakīyabharttā bhavatu|
3 Every man must continue having sexual relations [EUP] with his wife, and every woman must continue having sexual relations with her husband.
bhāryyāyai bhartrā yadyad vitaraṇīyaṁ tad vitīryyatāṁ tadvad bhartre'pi bhāryyayā vitaraṇīyaṁ vitīryyatāṁ|
4 A man’s wife does not have the right over her own body [to be the only one to decide about having sexual relations with her husband]. Instead, her husband also has a right [to decide about that]. Similarly, a woman’s husband does not have the right over his own body [to be the only one to decide about having sexual relations with his wife]. Instead, his wife also has a right [to decide about that].
bhāryyāyāḥ svadehe svatvaṁ nāsti bharttureva, tadvad bhartturapi svadehe svatvaṁ nāsti bhāryyāyā eva|
5 You may refuse [to have sexual relations with] each other [EUP] only if you both first agree to do that for a short time, in order that you may both have more time to pray. Then after that, begin having sexual relations again [EUP] in order that Satan will not be able to persuade you [to have sex with someone else] because you are unable to control your sexual desires.
upoṣaṇaprārthanayoḥ sevanārtham ekamantraṇānāṁ yuṣmākaṁ kiyatkālaṁ yāvad yā pṛthaksthiti rbhavati tadanyo vicchedo yuṣmanmadhye na bhavatu, tataḥ param indriyāṇām adhairyyāt śayatān yad yuṣmān parīkṣāṁ na nayet tadarthaṁ punarekatra milata|
6 I am telling you these things to say that [God] allows [you to get married, but he] does not say that you must [get married].
etad ādeśato nahi kintvanujñāta eva mayā kathyate,
7 I myself wish that all people would stay [unmarried/single], as I am. But God has enabled each person to live in ways that seem right for them. He has enabled some people to [live without getting married], and he has enabled other people to [get married].
yato mamāvastheva sarvvamānavānāmavasthā bhavatviti mama vāñchā kintvīśvarād ekenaiko varo'nyena cānyo vara itthamekaikena svakīyavaro labdhaḥ|
8 Now I want to say this to you unmarried people and to you whose spouses have died: It would be good for you to remain [unmarried] as I am.
aparam akṛtavivāhān vidhavāśca prati mamaitannivedanaṁ mameva teṣāmavasthiti rbhadrā;
9 But if you cannot control your [sexual desires] [EUP], you should get married. It is better to be married [so that you can satisfy your sexual desires with your spouse] than to constantly have a strong desire [EUP] [for sexual relations].
kiñca yadi tairindriyāṇi niyantuṁ na śakyante tarhi vivāhaḥ kriyatāṁ yataḥ kāmadahanād vyūḍhatvaṁ bhadraṁ|
10 And now I will give a command for [believers who are] married. This is not a command from me alone; it also comes from the Lord Jesus. You married women must not (separate from/divorce) your husbands!
ye ca kṛtavivāhāste mayā nahi prabhunaivaitad ājñāpyante|
11 But if any of you do that, you must remain unmarried, or else you should be reconciled with your husband [and live with him again]. Similarly, men must not (separate from/divorce) their wives.
bhāryyā bharttṛtaḥ pṛthak na bhavatu| yadi vā pṛthagbhūtā syāt tarhi nirvivāhā tiṣṭhatu svīyapatinā vā sandadhātu bharttāpi bhāryyāṁ na tyajatu|
12 Now I say this to the rest of you, [to those who became believers after they were married. This is what] I [am saying], not what the Lord [has commanded]. If someone has a wife who is not a believer, if she is willing to keep living with him, he must not divorce her.
itarān janān prati prabhu rna bravīti kintvahaṁ bravīmi; kasyacid bhrāturyoṣid aviśvāsinī satyapi yadi tena sahavāse tuṣyati tarhi sā tena na tyajyatāṁ|
13 Similarly, if a woman has a husband who is not a believer, if he is willing to keep living with her, she must not divorce him.
tadvat kasyāścid yoṣitaḥ patiraviśvāsī sannapi yadi tayā sahavāse tuṣyati tarhi sa tayā na tyajyatāṁ|
14 [I say that] because God has set apart every woman’s unbelieving husband [for himself] because of his wife [being a believer], and God has set apart every man’s unbelieving wife [for himself] because of her husband [being a believer]. If that were not true, [God would consider] their children unacceptable. But, the fact is that [God does consider] them acceptable to him.
yato'viśvāsī bharttā bhāryyayā pavitrībhūtaḥ, tadvadaviśvāsinī bhāryyā bhartrā pavitrībhūtā; noced yuṣmākamapatyānyaśucīnyabhaviṣyan kintvadhunā tāni pavitrāṇi santi|
15 However, if a woman’s husband who is not a believer or a man’s wife who is not a believer wants to leave, let [him or her] do so. The husband or wife who is a believer should not force the other one to stay. God has chosen us in order that we may live peacefully.
aviśvāsī jano yadi vā pṛthag bhavati tarhi pṛthag bhavatu; etena bhrātā bhaginī vā na nibadhyate tathāpi vayamīśvareṇa śāntaye samāhūtāḥ|
16 [You women believers should allow your unbelieving spouses to leave you if they want to], because there is no way that you can be sure that God will save your husband if you stay together [RHQ] (OR, perhaps God will save your husband if you stay together.) Similarly, you men [who are believers], there is no way that you can be sure that God will save your wives if you stay together [RHQ] (OR, perhaps God will save your wives if you stay together.)
he nāri tava bharttuḥ paritrāṇaṁ tvatto bhaviṣyati na veti tvayā kiṁ jñāyate? he nara tava jāyāyāḥ paritrāṇaṁ tvatte bhaviṣyati na veti tvayā kiṁ jñāyate?
17 However, each person should continue in the status that the Lord gave him, the status that he had when the Lord called him [to belong to him]. That is the rule that I tell people in all the congregations [where I speak].
ekaiko janaḥ parameśvarāllabdhaṁ yad bhajate yasyāñcāvasthāyām īśvareṇāhvāyi tadanusāreṇaivācaratu tadahaṁ sarvvasamājasthān ādiśāmi|
18 If a man had already been circumcised [RHQ] when he became a Christian, he should not [try to pretend that he is not] circumcised. If a man had not been circumcised [RHQ] before he became a Christian, he should not become circumcised.
chinnatvag bhṛtvā ya āhūtaḥ sa prakṛṣṭatvak na bhavatu, tadvad achinnatvag bhūtvā ya āhūtaḥ sa chinnatvak na bhavatu|
19 [You should not try to change your status that way], because it means nothing [to God] whether someone is circumcised or not. What is important is that we obey what God has commanded.
tvakchedaḥ sāro nahi tadvadatvakchedo'pi sāro nahi kintvīśvarasyājñānāṁ pālanameva|
20 [Generally], each person should remain in the status that he had when he became a Christian.
yo jano yasyāmavasthāyāmāhvāyi sa tasyāmevāvatiṣṭhatāṁ|
21 If one of you was a slave when you [(sg)] became a Christian [RHQ], do not be concerned about it. However, if you get an opportunity to be free, do [what you need to do to become free].
dāsaḥ san tvaṁ kimāhūto'si? tanmā cintaya, tathāca yadi svatantro bhavituṁ śaknuyāstarhi tadeva vṛṇu|
22 [Do not worry about your previously being a slave], because those who were slaves before they became Christians, the Lord has freed them [from Satan’s control]. Similarly, those who were not slaves before they became Christians, [it is as though] [MET] they are Christ’s slaves [because they must do what he tells them to do] [MET].
yataḥ prabhunāhūto yo dāsaḥ sa prabho rmocitajanaḥ| tadvad tenāhūtaḥ svatantro jano'pi khrīṣṭasya dāsa eva|
23 [Christ] paid a price to buy you [when he died for you]. So do not [act as if you are evil people’s] slaves [by doing the evil things that they tell you to do].
yūyaṁ mūlyena krītā ato heto rmānavānāṁ dāsā mā bhavata|
24 My fellow believers, [I repeat that in general] each believer, being in fellowship with God, should continue in the status that he had before he became a Christian.
he bhrātaro yasyāmavasthāyāṁ yasyāhvānamabhavat tayā sa īśvarasya sākṣāt tiṣṭhatu|
25 Now [I will answer your question] about women who have never married. There is nothing that the Lord has commanded me [to write about them], but I am writing this to tell you what I think [is best], because the Lord [Jesus] has mercifully enabled me to [say] what is reliable.
aparam akṛtavivāhān janān prati prabhoḥ ko'pyādeśo mayā na labdhaḥ kintu prabhoranukampayā viśvāsyo bhūto'haṁ yad bhadraṁ manye tad vadāmi|
26 There are a lot of distressing events [happening] now (OR, that will soon happen), so I think that it is better for people to remain in the marital status that they now have.
varttamānāt kleśasamayāt manuṣyasyānūḍhatvaṁ bhadramiti mayā budhyate|
27 If any of you [men] are married [RHQ], do not try to divorce your wife. If any of you are unmarried [RHQ], do not seek a wife.
tvaṁ kiṁ yoṣiti nibaddho'si tarhi mocanaṁ prāptuṁ mā yatasva| kiṁ vā yoṣito mukto'si? tarhi jāyāṁ mā gaveṣaya|
28 But if [any of] you [men] get married, you have not committed a sin [by doing that]. Likewise, if an unmarried woman gets married, she has not committed a sin [by doing that]. However, those who get married will have many troubles, [so I am urging you to remain unmarried in order that] you may not experience [such troubles].
vivāhaṁ kurvvatā tvayā kimapi nāpārādhyate tadvad vyūhyamānayā yuvatyāpi kimapi nāparādhyate tathāca tādṛśau dvau janau śārīrikaṁ kleśaṁ lapsyete kintu yuṣmān prati mama karuṇā vidyate|
29 My fellow believers, this is what I mean: There is not much time left [before Christ returns]. So, from now on those men who are married should [devote themselves to serving the Lord as much] as they would if they were not married.
he bhrātaro'hamidaṁ bravīmi, itaḥ paraṁ samayo'tīva saṁkṣiptaḥ,
30 Those who are sad should [devote themselves to serving the Lord as much] as they would if they were not sad. Those who are rejoicing [should devote themselves to serving the Lord as much] as they would if they were not joyful.
ataḥ kṛtadārairakṛtadārairiva rudadbhiścārudadbhiriva sānandaiśca nirānandairiva kretṛbhiścābhāgibhirivācaritavyaṁ
31 Those who are buying things should [devote themselves to serving the Lord as much] as they would if they did not possess those things. Because this world as it exists now will soon be gone, those who are actively involved in the affairs of this life [should not devote all their time] to be involved in those things.
ye ca saṁsāre caranti tai rnāticaritavyaṁ yata ihalekasya kautuko vicalati|
32 [Another reason why] I [encourage you to remain unmarried is that] I desire that none of you be anxious [about the everyday affairs of this life]. Unmarried men are [able to be primarily] concerned about serving the Lord Jesus and trying to please him.
kintu yūyaṁ yanniścintā bhaveteti mama vāñchā| akṛtavivāho jano yathā prabhuṁ paritoṣayet tathā prabhuṁ cintayati,
33 But married men are [often] greatly concerned about the affairs of this life. Specifically, they are concerned about pleasing their wives.
kintu kṛtavivāho jano yathā bhāryyāṁ paritoṣayet tathā saṁsāraṁ cintayati|
34 So their thinking is divided. Unmarried women are [able to be] concerned about serving the Lord. They want to set apart their minds and their bodies for serving the Lord. But married women are [often] concerned about the affairs of this life. Specifically, they are concerned about how to please their husbands.
tadvad ūḍhayoṣito 'nūḍhā viśiṣyate| yānūḍhā sā yathā kāyamanasoḥ pavitrā bhavet tathā prabhuṁ cintayati yā coḍhā sā yathā bharttāraṁ paritoṣayet tathā saṁsāraṁ cintayati|
35 I am telling you this for your own good. I am not saying it in order to restrict you. Instead, I am saying it in order that you may do what is proper and be able to serve the Lord without being distracted {things distracting you}.
ahaṁ yad yuṣmān mṛgabandhinyā parikṣipeyaṁ tadarthaṁ nahi kintu yūyaṁ yadaninditā bhūtvā prabhoḥ sevane'bādham āsaktā bhaveta tadarthametāni sarvvāṇi yuṣmākaṁ hitāya mayā kathyante|
36 [Some of you men have asked about your unmarried daughters]. [I suggest that] if any man thinks that he may be treating his daughter unfairly [by keeping her from marrying], and if it is already past [the right] time for her to get married, and if he thinks that she ought to be married, he should do what he wants to do. He should let her get married. He will not be sinning [by doing that].
kasyacit kanyāyāṁ yauvanaprāptāyāṁ yadi sa tasyā anūḍhatvaṁ nindanīyaṁ vivāhaśca sādhayitavya iti manyate tarhi yathābhilāṣaṁ karotu, etena kimapi nāparātsyati vivāhaḥ kriyatāṁ|
37 But if a man feels absolutely sure [that it is better that his daughter not get married], and if nothing is forcing [her to get married], and if he is free to do what he decides to do on the matter, if he decides that his daughter should not get married, he is doing what is right in [keeping her from marrying].
kintu duḥkhenākliṣṭaḥ kaścit pitā yadi sthiramanogataḥ svamano'bhilāṣasādhane samarthaśca syāt mama kanyā mayā rakṣitavyeti manasi niścinoti ca tarhi sa bhadraṁ karmma karoti|
38 So any man who decides that his daughter should get married is doing what is good, but if he decides that she should not get married, he is doing something even better. (OR, [Some of you men have asked about the women to whom you are engaged to marry]. If any man thinks that he may be treating that woman unfairly [by not marrying her], and if it is already past [the right] time for her to get married, and if he wants to marry her very much, he should do what he wants to do. He should marry her. He will not be sinning [by doing that]. But if a man feels absolutely sure [that it is better] for him not to get married, and if nothing is forcing [them to get married], if he is free to make his own decision on the matter, if he decides not to get married, he is doing what is right. So any man who decides that he should get married to the woman he is engaged to is doing what is good, but if he decides that he should not get married, he is doing something even better.)
ato yo vivāhaṁ karoti sa bhadraṁ karmma karoti yaśca vivāhaṁ na karoti sa bhadrataraṁ karmma karoti|
39 Women must remain married to their husbands while their husbands are still alive. But if a woman’s husband dies, she is free to marry any [unmarried] man whom she wants to marry, but he must belong to the Lord.
yāvatkālaṁ pati rjīvati tāvad bhāryyā vyavasthayā nibaddhā tiṣṭhati kintu patyau mahānidrāṁ gate sā muktībhūya yamabhilaṣati tena saha tasyā vivāho bhavituṁ śaknoti, kintvetat kevalaṁ prabhubhaktānāṁ madhye|
40 However, I think that she will be happier if she does not marry again. And I believe that the Spirit of God is [directing] me [as I say that].
tathāca sā yadi niṣpatikā tiṣṭhati tarhi tasyāḥ kṣemaṁ bhaviṣyatīti mama bhāvaḥ| aparam īśvarasyātmā mamāpyanta rvidyata iti mayā budhyate|
