1 Corinthians 7

1 With reference to the subjects about which you wrote to me: It is good for a man to remain single.

Now concerning the things of which ye wrote to me. It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2 But, owing to the prevalence of immorality, I advise every man to have his own wife, and every woman her husband.

But because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

3 A husband should give his wife her due, and a wife her husband.

Let the husband render the goodwill owed to the wife, and likewise also the wife to the husband.

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.

The wife has not the right of her private body, but the husband, and likewise also the husband has not the right of his private body, but the wife.

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.

Do not defraud each other except from agreement for a time, so that ye may have time for fasting and prayer. And come together again for the same thing, so that Satan not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6 I say this, however, as a concession, not as a command.

But I say this from concession not from commandment.

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.

For I wish all men to be even as myself. However each man has his own gift from God, one in this way, and another after that.

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.

But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I.

9 But, if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be consumed with passion.

But if they have no self-control they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn.

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

And to those who are married, I do not command but the Lord. The wife is not to separate from her husband.

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.

But even if she separates, she shall remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to leave his wife.

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;

But to the rest I say, not the Lord. If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and this woman consents to dwell with him, he should not leave her.

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.

And whichever woman has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to dwell with her, she should not leave him.

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.

For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified by the husband, then otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

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.

But if the unbeliever separates, he shall separate. The brother or the sister has not been bound in such things. And God has called us to peace.

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?

For how do thou know, O wife, whether thou will save thy husband? Or how will thou know, O husband, whether thou will save thy wife?

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.

Except, as God has distributed to each man, as the Lord has called each, so let him walk. And so I command in all the congregations.

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.

Was any man called circumcised? He should not become uncircumcised. Was any man called in uncircumcision? He should not be circumcised.

19 Circumcision is nothing; the want of it is nothing; but to keep the commands of God is everything.

Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, instead, the keeping of God's commandments.

20 Let everyone remain in that condition of life in which they were when the call came to them.

Each man, in the situation in which he was called, in this he should remain.

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.

Were thou called being a bondman? It should not concern thee. However if also thou are able to become free, take advantage of it instead.

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.

For he who was called in the Lord a bondman is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise also he who was called a free man is a bondman of Christ.

23 You were bought, and the price was paid. Do not let yourselves become slaves to people.

Ye were bought with a price, become not bondmen of men.

24 Friends, let everyone remain in the condition in which they were when they were called, in close communion with God.

Brothers, each man, in what he was called, should remain in this before God.

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.

Now concerning the virgins I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give an opinion, as having obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.

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.

I suppose therefore this to be good because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to be this way:

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.

Are thou bound to a wife? Do not seek separation. Are thou free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

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.

But also if thou did marry thou have not sinned, and if the virgin married she has not sinned. Yet such kind will have stress in the flesh, but I spare you.

29 What I mean, friends, is this – the time is short. Meanwhile, let those who have wives live as if they had none,

But this I say, brothers, the time is shortened. It is the remaining, so that also those who have wives may be as not having,

30 those who are weeping as if not weeping, those who are rejoicing as if not rejoicing, those who buy as if not possessing,

and those who weep, as not weeping, and those who rejoice, as not rejoicing, and those who buy, as not possessing,

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.

and those who use this world, as not making full use, for the form of this world passes away.

32 I want you to be free from anxiety. The unmarried man is anxious about the Master’s cause, desiring to please him;

But I want you to be without worry. The unmarried man cares for things of the Lord, how he will please the Lord.

33 while the married man is anxious about worldly matters, desiring to please his wife;

But he who is married cares for things of the world, how he will please his wife.

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.

And the wife and the virgin are differentiated. The unmarried woman is concerned for the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married is concerned for the things of the world, how she will please her husband.

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.

And I say this for your own benefit, not that I may cast restraint upon you, but for what is respectable and assiduous toward the Lord, undistracted.

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.

But if any man thinks to behave improperly toward his virgin, if it is past the best time, and so ought to happen, she should do what she wants, she does not sin, they should marry.

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.

But he who stands firm in his heart, not having necessity, but has power based upon his own will, and has decided this in his heart, to keep his own celibacy, does well.

38 In short, the one who consents to his daughter’s marriage is doing right, and yet the other will be doing better.

And therefore he who gives in marriage does well, but he who does not give in marriage does better.

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.

A wife is bound by law as long a time as her husband lives, but also if the husband should sleep, she is free to be married to whom she desires, only in the Lord.

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.

But she is more blessed if she remains this way according to my opinion. And I also seem to have Spirit of God.