< 1 Corinthians 7 >

1 Now, concerning the things whereof ye wrote, it were, good, for a man, not to touch, a woman;
But concerning the things of which ye have written [to me]: [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman;
2 But, on account of fornications, let, each man, have, his own wife, and, each woman, have, her own husband:
but on account of fornications, let each have his own wife, and each [woman] have her own husband.
3 Unto the wife, let the husband render what is her due, and, in like manner, the wife also, unto the husband, —
Let the husband render her due to the wife, and in like manner the wife to the husband.
4 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.
The wife has not authority over her own body, but the husband: in like manner also the husband has not authority over his own body, but the wife.
5 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.
Defraud not one another, unless, it may be, by consent for a time, that ye may devote yourselves to prayer, and again be together, that Satan tempt you not because of your incontinency.
6 This, however I am saying, by way of concession, not of injunction;
But this I say, as consenting [to], not as commanding [it].
7 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.
Now I wish all men to be even as myself: but every one has his own gift of God: one man thus, and another thus.
8 But I say, to the unmarried, and to the widows, good, were it for them, that they should abide, even as I;
But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, It is good for them that they remain even as I.
9 But, if they have not self-control, let them marry, for, better, is it, to marry than to burn.
But if they have not control over themselves, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn.
10 To the married, however, I give charge—not, I, but the Lord, —that, a wife, from her husband, do not depart, —
But to the married I enjoin, not I, but the Lord, Let not wife be separated from husband;
11 But, if she should even depart, let her remain unmarried, or, to her husband, be reconciled; and let not, a husband, leave, his wife.
(but if also she shall have been separated, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband; ) and let not husband leave wife.
12 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;
But as to the rest, I say, not the Lord, If any brother have an unbelieving wife, and she consent to dwell with him, let him not leave her.
13 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; —
And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to dwell with her, let her not leave [her] husband.
14 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.
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother; since [otherwise] indeed your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
15 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.
But if the unbeliever go away, let them go away; a brother or a sister is not bound in such [cases], but God has called us in peace.
16 For how knowest thou, O woman, whether, thy husband, thou shalt save? Or how knowest thou, O man, whether, thy wife, thou shalt save?
For what knowest thou, O wife, if thou shalt save thy husband? or what knowest thou, O husband, if thou shalt save thy wife?
17 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.
However, as the Lord has divided to each, as God has called each, so let him walk; and thus I ordain in all the assemblies.
18 After being circumcised, was any called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision, hath any been called? let him not be circumcised:
Has any one been called circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised: has any one been called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
19 The circumcision, is, nothing, and, the uncircumcision, is, nothing, —but keeping the commandments of God.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but keeping God's commandments.
20 Each one, in the calling wherein he was called, in the same, let him abide:
Let each abide in that calling in which he has been called.
21 A bond-servant, wast thou called? let it not cause thee concern; but, if thou canst even become, free, rather use it.
Hast thou been called [being] a bondman, let it not concern thee; but and if thou canst become free, use [it] rather.
22 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: —
For the bondman that is called in [the] Lord is the Lord's freedman; in like manner [also] the freeman being called is Christ's bondman.
23 With a price, have ye been bought, —do not become bond-servants of men:
Ye have been bought with a price; do not be the bondmen of men.
24 Each one, wherein he was called, brethren, in the same, let him abide with God.
Let each, wherein he is called, brethren, therein abide with God.
25 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:
But concerning virgins, I have no commandment of [the] Lord; but I give my opinion, as having received mercy of [the] Lord to be faithful.
26 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:
I think then that this is good, on account of the present necessity, that [it is] good for a man to remain so as he is.
27 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.
Art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; art thou free from a wife? do not seek a wife.
28 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.
But if thou shouldest also marry, thou hast not sinned; and if the virgin marry, they have not sinned: but such shall have tribulation in the flesh; but I spare you.
29 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,
But this I say, brethren, the time is straitened. For the rest, that they who have wives, be as not having [any]:
30 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,
and they that weep, as not weeping; and they that rejoice, as not rejoicing; and they that buy, as not possessing;
31 And, they who use the world, as though they used it not to the full, —for the fashion of this world passeth away;
and they that use the world, as not disposing of it as their own; for the fashion of this world passes.
32 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;
But I wish you to be without care. The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;
33 But, he that hath married, is anxious for the things of the world, how may please his wife—
but he that has married cares for the things of the world, how he shall please his wife.
34 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.
There is a difference between the wife and the virgin. The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but she that has married cares for the things of the world, how she shall please her husband.
35 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.
But I say this for your own profit; not that I may set a snare before you, but for what [is] seemly, and waiting on the Lord without distraction.
36 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:
But if any one think that he behaves unseemly to his virginity, if he be beyond the flower of his age, and so it must be, let him do what he will, he does not sin: let them marry.
37 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.
But he who stands firm in his heart, having no need, but has authority over his own will, and has judged this in his heart to keep his own virginity, he does well.
38 So that, he that giveth in marriage his own virginity, doeth, well; and, he that giveth it not, shall do, better.
So that he that marries himself does well; and he that does not marry does better.
39 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;
A wife is bound for whatever time her husband lives; but if the husband be fallen asleep, she is free to be married to whom she will, only in [the] Lord.
40 But, happier, is she, if, so, she remain, —in my judgment; for I think, I also, have the Spirit of God.
But she is happier if she so remain, according to my judgment; but I think that I also have God's Spirit.

< 1 Corinthians 7 >