# Are you bound ... Do not seek ... Are you free ... Do not seek ... you do ... you have Paul is speaking to the Corinthians as if he were speaking to each person, so all these instances of "you" and the command "do not seek" here are singular. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-you]]) # Are you bound to a woman? Do not ... Paul uses this question to introduce a possible condition. The question can be translated as a phrase with "if." AT: "If you are bound to a woman, do not" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) # Are you bound to a woman Here "bound to a woman" is a metaphor for being married to a woman, as if the husband and wife are tied to each other. AT: "Are you attached to a woman" or "Are you married" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]). # Do not seek to be free of her Here being free of a woman, or untied to a woman, is a metaphor for not being married to her. AT: "Do not try to be separated from her" or "Do not divorce her" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) # Are you free of a wife? Do not ... Paul uses this question to introduce a possible condition. The question can be translated as a phrase with "if." AT: "If you are free of a wife, do not" or "If you do not have a wife, do not" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) # Are you free of a wife Paul addresses men who are not married. Here being free of a wife, or untied to a wife, is a metaphor for not being married. AT: "Are you untied to a wife" or "Are you without a wife" or "Are you unmarried" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) # Do not seek a wife "Do not try to get married" # committed "done" # I would like to spare you from them "I do not want you to have them" # translationWords * [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/free]] * [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin]]