1 Corinthians
Chapter 7
1 1 2 3 Now in regard to the matters about which you wrote: "It is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman,"
论到你们信上所写的事，我认为男人不亲近女人倒好。
2 but because of cases of immorality every man should have his own wife, and every woman her own husband.
可是，为了避免淫乱，男人当各有自己的妻子，女人当各有自己的丈夫。
3 The husband should fulfill his duty toward his wife, and likewise the wife toward her husband.
丈夫对妻子该尽他应尽的义务，妻子对丈夫也是如此。
4 A wife does not have authority over her own body, but rather her husband, and similarly a husband does not have authority over his own body, but rather his wife.
妻子对自己的身体没有主权，而是丈夫有；同样，丈夫对自己的身体也没有主权，而是妻子有。
5 Do not deprive each other, except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, to be free for prayer, but then return to one another, so that Satan may not tempt you through your lack of self-control.
你们切不要彼此亏负，除非两相情愿，暂时分房，为专务祈祷；但事后仍要归到一处，免得撒殚因你们不能节制，而诱惑你们。
6 This I say by way of concession, 4 however, not as a command.
我说这话，原是出于宽容，并不是出于命令。
7 Indeed, I wish everyone to be as I am, but each has a particular gift from God, 5 one of one kind and one of another.
我本来愿意众人都如同我一样，可是，每人都有他各自得自天主的恩宠：有人这样，有人那样。
8 6 Now to the unmarried and to widows, I say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do,
我对那些尚未结婚的人，特别对寡妇说：如果她们能止于现状，像我一样，为她们倒好。
9 but if they cannot exercise self-control they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be on fire.
但若她们节制不住，就让她们婚嫁，因为与其欲火中烧，倒不如结婚为妙。
10 To the married, however, I give this instruction (not I, but the Lord): 7 a wife should not separate from her husband
至于那些已经结婚的，我命令──其实不是我，而是主命令：妻子不可离开丈夫；
11 --and if she does separate she must either remain single or become reconciled to her husband--and a husband should not divorce his wife.
若是离开了，就应该持身不嫁，或是仍与丈夫和好；丈夫也不可离弃妻子。
12 To the rest 8 I say (not the Lord): if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she is willing to go on living with him, he should not divorce her;
对其余的人，是我说，而不是主说：倘若某弟兄有不信主的妻子，妻子也同意与他同居，就不应该离弃她；
13 and if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he is willing to go on living with her, she should not divorce her husband.
倘若某妇人有不信主的丈夫，丈夫也同意与她同居，就不应该离弃丈夫，
14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, whereas in fact they are holy.
因为不信主的丈夫因妻子而成了圣洁的，不信主的妻子也因弟兄而成了圣洁的；不然，你们的儿女就是不洁的，其实他们却是圣洁的。
15 If the unbeliever separates, 9 however, let him separate. The brother or sister is not bound in such cases; God has called you to peace.
但若不信主的一方要离去，就由他离去；在这种情形之下，兄弟或姐妹不必受拘束，天主召叫了我们原是为平安。
16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband; or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
因为妳这为妻子的，怎么知道妳能救丈夫呢？或者，你这为丈夫的，怎么知道你能救妻子呢？
17 10 Only, everyone should live as the Lord has assigned, just as God called each one. I give this order in all the churches.
此外，主怎样分给了各人，天主怎样召选了各人，各人就该怎样生活下去：这原是我在各教会内所训示的。
18 Was someone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was an uncircumcised person called? He should not be circumcised.
有人受割损后蒙召的吗？他就不该掩盖割损的记号；有人是未受割损蒙召的吗？他就不该受割损。
19 Circumcision means nothing, and uncircumcision means nothing; what matters is keeping God's commandments.
受割损算不得什么，不受割损也算不得什么，只该遵守天主的诫命。
20 Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called.
各人在什么身份上蒙召，就该安于这身份。
21 Were you a slave when you were called? Do not be concerned but, even if you can gain your freedom, make the most of it.
你是作奴隶蒙召的吗？你不要介意，而且即使你能成为自由人，你也宁要守住你原有的身份，
22 For the slave called in the Lord is a freed person in the Lord, just as the free person who has been called is a slave of Christ.
因为作奴隶而在主内蒙召的，就是主所释放的人；同样，那有自由而蒙召的人，就是基督的奴隶。
23 You have been purchased at a price. Do not become slaves to human beings.
你们是用高价买来的，切不要做人的奴隶。
24 Brothers, everyone should continue before God in the state in which he was called.
弟兄们，各人在什么身份上蒙召，就在天主前安于这身份罢！
25 Now in regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, 11 but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.
论到童身的人，我没有主的命令，只就我蒙主的仁慈，作为一个忠信的人，说出我的意见：
26 So this is what I think best because of the present distress: that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.
为了现时的急难，依我看来，为人这样倒好。
27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation. Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife.
你有妻子的束縳吗？不要寻求解脱；你没有妻子的束縳吗？不要寻求妻室。
28 If you marry, however, you do not sin, nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries; but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life, and I would like to spare you that.
但是你若娶妻，你并没有犯罪，童女若出嫁，也没有犯罪；不过这等人要遭受肉身上的痛苦，我却愿意你们免受这些痛苦。
29 12 I tell you, brothers, the time is running out. From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
弟兄们，我给你们说：时限是短促的，今后有妻子的，要像没有一样；
30 those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning,
哭泣的，要像不哭泣的；欢乐的，要像不欢乐的；购买的，要像一无所得的；
31 those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away.
享用这世界的，要像不享用的，因为这世界的局面正在逝去。
32 I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.
我愿你们无所挂虑：没有妻子的，所挂虑的是主的事，想怎样悦乐主；
33 But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
娶了妻子的，所挂虑的是世俗的事，想怎样悦乐妻子：这样他的心就分散了。
34 and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
没有丈夫的妇女和童女，所挂虑的是主的事，一心使身心圣洁；至于已出嫁的，所挂虑的是世俗的事，想怎样悦乐丈夫。
35 I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction.
我说这话，是为你们的益处，并不是要设下圈套陷害你们，而只是为叫你们更齐全，得以不断地专心事主。
36 13 14 If anyone thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, and if a critical moment has come and so it has to be, let him do as he wishes. He is committing no sin; let them get married.
若有人以为对自己的童女待的不合宜，怕她过了韶华年龄，而事又在必行，他就可以随意办理，让她们成亲，不算犯罪。
37 The one who stands firm in his resolve, however, who is not under compulsion but has power over his own will, and has made up his mind to keep his virgin, will be doing well.
但是谁若心意坚定，没有不得已的事，而又能随自己的意愿处置，这样心里决定了要保存自己的童女，的确做的好；
38 So then, the one who marries his virgin does well; the one who does not marry her will do better.
所以，谁若叫自己的童女出嫁，作得好；谁若不叫她出嫁，作得更好。
39 15 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whomever she wishes, provided that it be in the Lord.
丈夫活着的时候，妻子是被束縳的；但如果丈夫死了，她便自由了，可以随意嫁人，只要是在主内的人。
40 She is more blessed, though, in my opinion, if she remains as she is, and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
可是，按我的意见，如果她仍能这样守下去，她更为有福：我想我也有天主的圣神。
Footnotes(注解)
1 [1-40] Paul now begins to answer questions addressed to him by the Corinthians (1 Cor 7:1-11:1). The first of these concerns marriage. This chapter contains advice both to the married (1-16) and to the unmarried (1 Cor 7:25-38) or widowed (1 Cor 7:39-40); these two parts are separated by 1 Cor 7:17-24, which enunciate a principle applicable to both.
2 [1-16] It seems that some Christians in Corinth were advocating asceticism in sexual matters. The pattern it is a good thing . . . , but occurs twice (1 Cor 7:1-2, 8-9; cf 1 Cor 7:26), suggesting that in this matter as in others the Corinthians have seized upon a genuine value but are exaggerating or distorting it in some way. Once again Paul calls them to a more correct perspective and a better sense of their own limitations. The phrase it is a good thing (1 Cor 7:1) may have been the slogan of the ascetic party at Corinth.
3 [1-7] References to Paul's own behavior (1 Cor 7:7-8) suggest that his celibate way of life and his preaching to the unmarried (cf 1 Cor 7:25-35) have given some the impression that asceticism within marriage, i.e., suspension of normal sexual relations, would be a laudable ideal. Paul points to their experience of widespread immorality to caution them against overestimating their own strength (1 Cor 7:2); as individuals they may not have the particular gift that makes such asceticism feasible (1 Cor 7:7) and hence are to abide by the principle to be explained in 1 Cor 7:17-24.
4 [6] By way of concession: this refers most likely to the concession mentioned in 1 Cor 7:5a: temporary interruption of relations for a legitimate purpose.
5 [7] A particular gift from God: use of the term charisma suggests that marriage and celibacy may be viewed in the light of Paul's theology of spiritual gifts (1 Cor 7:12-14).
6 [8] Paul was obviously unmarried when he wrote this verse. Some interpreters believe that he had previously been married and widowed; there is no clear evidence either for or against this view, which was expressed already at the end of the second century by Clement of Alexandria.
7 [10-11] (Not I, but the Lord): Paul reminds the married of Jesus' principle of nonseparation (Mark 10:9). This is one of his rare specific references to the teaching of Jesus.
8 [12-14] To the rest: marriages in which only one partner is a baptized Christian. Jesus' prohibition against divorce is not addressed to them, but Paul extends the principle of nonseparation to such unions, provided they are marked by peacefulness and shared sanctification.
9 [15-16] If the unbeliever separates: the basis of the "Pauline privilege" in Catholic marriage legislation.
10 [17-24] On the ground that distinct human conditions are less significant than the whole new existence opened up by God's call, Paul urges them to be less concerned with changing their states of life than with answering God's call where it finds them. The principle applies both to the married state (1 Cor 7:1-16) and to the unmarried (1 Cor 7:25-38).
11 [25-28] Paul is careful to explain that the principle of 1 Cor 7:17 does not bind under sin but that present earthly conditions make it advantageous for the unmarried to remain as they are (1 Cor 7:28). These remarks must be complemented by the statement about "particular gifts" from 1 Cor 7:7.
12 [29-31] The world . . . is passing away: Paul advises Christians to go about the ordinary activities of life in a manner different from those who are totally immersed in them and unaware of their transitoriness.
13 [36-38] The passage is difficult to interpret, because it is unclear whether Paul is thinking of a father and his unmarried daughter (or slave), or of a couple engaged in a betrothal or spiritual marriage. The general principles already enunciated apply: there is no question of sin, even if they should marry, but staying as they are is "better" (for the reasons mentioned in 1 Cor 7:28-35). Once again the charisma of 1 Cor 7:7 which applies also to the unmarried (1 Cor 7:8-9), is to be presupposed.
14 [36] A critical moment has come: either because the woman will soon be beyond marriageable age, or because their passions are becoming uncontrollable (cf 1 Cor 7:9).
15 [39-40] Application of the principles to the case of widows. If they do choose to remarry, they ought to prefer Christian husbands.