1 Corinthians 7

1 Nowe concerning the thinges whereof ye wrote vnto mee, It were good for a man not to touche a woman.

Now, concerning the things whereof ye wrote, it were, good, for a man, not to touch, a woman;

2 Neuertheles, to auoide fornication, let euery man haue his wife, and let euery woman haue her owne husband.

But, on account of fornications, let, each man, have, his own wife, and, each woman, have, her own husband:

3 Let the husband giue vnto the wife due beneuolence, and likewise also the wife vnto the husband.

Unto the wife, let the husband render what is her due, and, in like manner, the wife also, unto the husband, —

4 The wife hath not the power of her owne bodie, but ye husband: and likewise also the husband hath not ye power of his own body, but the wife.

The wife, over her own body, hath not authority, but the husband, and, in like manner, the husband also, over his own body, hath not authority, but the wife.

5 Defraude not one another, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may giue your selues to fasting and praier, and againe come together that Satan tempt you not for your incontinecie.

Be not depriving one another—unless perhaps by consent for a season, that ye may have leisure for prayer, and, again, may be together, —lest Satan be tempting you by reason of your want of self-control.

6 But I speake this by permission, not by commandement.

This, however I am saying, by way of concession, not of injunction;

7 For I woulde that all men were euen as I my selfe am: but euery man hath his proper gift of God, one after this maner, and another after that.

Besides, I desire all men to be, even as myself, —but, each one, hath his, personal, gift from God, one, after this manner, and, another, after that.

8 Therefore I say vnto the vnmaried, and vnto the widowes, It is good for them if they abide euen as I doe.

But I say, to the unmarried, and to the widows, good, were it for them, that they should abide, even as I;

9 But if they cannot abstaine, let them marrie: for it is better to marrie then to burne.

But, if they have not self-control, let them marry, for, better, is it, to marry than to burn.

10 And vnto ye maried I comand, not I, but ye Lord, Let not ye wife depart from her husband.

To the married, however, I give charge—not, I, but the Lord, —that, a wife, from her husband, do not depart, —

11 But and if shee depart, let her remaine vnmaried, or be reconciled vnto her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife.

But, if she should even depart, let her remain unmarried, or, to her husband, be reconciled; and let not, a husband, leave, his wife.

12 But to ye remnant I speake, and not ye Lord, If any brother haue a wife, ye beleeueth not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not forsake her.

But, unto the rest, say, I—not the Lord, —if, any brother, hath, a wife that believeth not, and, she, is well pleased to dwell with him, let him not leave her;

13 And the woman which hath an husband that beleeueth not, if he be content to dwell with her, let her not forsake him.

And, a woman who hath a husband that believeth not, and, he, is well pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband; —

14 For the vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified to the wife, and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified to the husband, els were your children vncleane: but nowe are they holie.

For the husband that believeth not is hallowed in the wife, and the wife that believeth not is hallowed in the brother: else were, your children, impure, but, now, are they, pure.

15 But if the vnbeleeuing depart, let him depart: a brother or a sister is not in subiection in such things: but God hath called vs in peace.

But, if, the unbelieving, departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister hath not come into bondage, in such cases, but, in peace, hath God called us.

16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt saue thine husband? Or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt saue thy wife?

For how knowest thou, O woman, whether, thy husband, thou shalt save? Or how knowest thou, O man, whether, thy wife, thou shalt save?

17 But as God hath distributed to euery man, as the Lord hath called euery one, so let him walke: and so ordaine I, in all Churches.

If not—as the Lord hath distributed—unto each one, as God hath called, each one, so, let him be walking; —and, so, in all the assemblies, I ordain.

18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not gather his vncircumcision: is any called vncircumcised? let him not be circumcised.

After being circumcised, was any called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision, hath any been called? let him not be circumcised:

19 Circumcision is nothing, and vncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandements of God.

The circumcision, is, nothing, and, the uncircumcision, is, nothing, —but keeping the commandments of God.

20 Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called.

Each one, in the calling wherein he was called, in the same, let him abide:

21 Art thou called being a seruant? care not for it: but if yet thou maiest be free, vse it rather.

A bond-servant, wast thou called? let it not cause thee concern; but, if thou canst even become, free, rather use it.

22 For he that is called in the Lord, being. a seruant, is the Lords freeman: likewise also he that is called being free, is Christes seruant.

For, he who in the Lord was called, being a bond-servant, is, a freed-man of the Lord: in like manner, he that was called being, a freeman, is Christ’s bond-servant: —

23 Yee are bought with a price: be not the seruants of men.

With a price, have ye been bought, —do not become bond-servants of men:

24 Brethren, let euery man, wherein hee was called, therein abide with God.

Each one, wherein he was called, brethren, in the same, let him abide with God.

25 Nowe concerning virgines, I haue no commandement of the Lord: but I giue mine aduise, as one that hath obtained mercie of the Lord to be faithfull.

But, concerning them who are virgin, injunction of the Lord, have I none; yet, a judgment, do I give, as one who hath obtained mercy from the Lord to be, faithful:

26 I suppose then this to bee good for the present necessitie: I meane that it is good for a man so to be.

I consider this, then, to be, good, in the circumstances, by reason of the existing distress, —that it is, good for a man, so, to be:

27 Art thou bounde vnto a wife? seeke not to be loosed: art thou loosed from a wife? seeke not a wife.

Hast thou become bound to a wife? do not seek to be loosed; hast thou become loosed from a wife? do not seek a wife.

28 But if thou takest a wife, thou sinnest not: and if a virgine marrie, shee sinneth not: neuerthelesse, such shall haue trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

If, however, thou shouldst even marry, thou hast not sinned; and, if one who is virgin should marry, that one hath not sinned; —but, tribulation of the flesh, shall, such, have: —howbeit, I, spare you.

29 And this I say, brethren, because the time is short, hereafter that both they which haue wiues, be as though they had none:

But, this, I say—the opportunity is, contracted for what remaineth—in order that, they who have wives, may be, as though they had none,

30 And they that weepe, as though they wept not: and they that reioyce, as though they reioyced not: and they that bye, as though they possessed not:

And, they who weep, as though they wept not, and, they who rejoice, as though they rejoiced not, and, they who buy, as though they possessed not,

31 And they that vse this worlde, as though they vsed it not: for the fashion of this worlde goeth away.

And, they who use the world, as though they used it not to the full, —for the fashion of this world passeth away;

32 And I would haue you without care. The vnmaried careth for the things of the Lord, howe he may please the Lord.

And I desire you to be, without anxiety: —the unmarried man, is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

33 But hee that is maried, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

But, he that hath married, is anxious for the things of the world, how may please his wife—

34 There is difference also betweene a virgine and a wife: the vnmaried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in body and in spirite: but shee that is maried, careth for the things of the worlde, howe shee may please her husband.

And he is divided; and, the unmarried woman, or the virgin, is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy [both] in her body and in her spirit; but, she that hath married, is anxious for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

35 And this I speake for your owne commoditie, not to tangle you in a snare, but that yee follow that, which is honest, and that yee may cleaue fast vnto the Lord without separation.

This, however, with a view to your own profit, am I saying, —not that, a snare, upon you, I may cast, but with a view to what is comely, and devoted unto the Lord, without distraction.

36 But if any man thinke that it is vncomely for his virgine, if shee passe the flower of her age, and neede so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them be maried.

If however anyone considereth it behaving unseemly towards his virginity, if he should be beyond the bloom of life, —and, thus, it ought to come about, what he chooseth, let him do, —he sinneth not: let them marry:

37 Neuerthelesse, hee that standeth firme in his heart, that hee hath no neede, but hath power ouer his owne will, and hath so decreed in his heart, that hee will keepe his virgine, hee doeth well.

But, he that standeth in his heart, steadfast, having no necessity, but hath authority concerning his own will, and, this, hath determined in his own heart, —to preserve his own virginity, well shall he do.

38 So then hee that giueth her to mariage, doeth well, but he that giueth her not to mariage, doeth better.

So that, he that giveth in marriage his own virginity, doeth, well; and, he that giveth it not, shall do, better.

39 The wife is bounde by the Lawe, as long as her husband liueth: but if her husband bee dead, shee is at libertie to marie with whome she will, onely in the Lord.

A wife, is bound for as long a time as her husband is living; but, if the husband have fallen asleep, she is, free, to be married unto whom she pleaseth, —only, in the Lord;

40 But shee is more blessed, if she so abide, in my iudgement: and I thinke that I haue also the Spirite of God.

But, happier, is she, if, so, she remain, —in my judgment; for I think, I also, have the Spirit of God.