1 Corinthians 7
1 Now, concerning the things whereof ye wrote, it were, good, for a man, not to touch, a woman;
I now deal with the subjects mentioned in your letter. It is well for a man to abstain altogether from marriage.
2 But, on account of fornications, let, each man, have, his own wife, and, each woman, have, her own husband:
But because there is so much fornication every man should have a wife of his own, and every woman should have a husband.
3 Unto the wife, let the husband render what is her due, and, in like manner, the wife also, unto the husband, —
Let a man pay his wife her due, and let a woman also pay her husband his.
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.
A married woman is not mistress of her own person: her husband has certain rights. In the same way a married man is not master of his own person: his wife has certain rights.
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.
Do not refuse one another, unless perhaps it is just for a time and by mutual consent, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer and may then associate again; lest the Adversary begin to tempt you because of your deficiency in self-control.
6 This, however I am saying, by way of concession, not of injunction;
Thus much in the way of concession, not of command.
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.
Yet I would that everybody lived as I do; but each of us has his own special gift from God--one in one direction and one in another.
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 tell the unmarried, and women who are widows, that it is well for them to remain as I am.
9 But, if they have not self-control, let them marry, for, better, is it, to marry than to burn.
If, however, they cannot maintain self-control, by all means let them marry; for marriage is better than the fever of passion.
10 To the married, however, I give charge—not, I, but the Lord, —that, a wife, from her husband, do not depart, —
But to those already married my instructions are--yet not mine, but the Lord's--that a wife is not to leave her 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.
or if she has already left him, let her either remain as she is or be reconciled to him; and that a husband is not to send away his 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;
To the rest it is I who speak--not the Lord. If a brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, let him not send her away.
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--if he consents to live with her, let her not separate from him.
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, in such cases, the unbelieving husband has become--and is--holy through union with a Christian woman, and the unbelieving wife is holy through union with a Christian brother. Otherwise your children would be unholy, but in reality they have a place among God's people.
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.
If, however, the unbeliever is determined to leave, let him or her do so. Under such circumstances the Christian man or woman is no slave; God has called us to live lives of 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 assurance have you, O woman, as to whether you will save your husband? Or what assurance have you, O man, as to whether you will save your 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.
Only, whatever be the condition in life which the Lord has assigned to each individual--and whatever the condition in which he was living when God called him--in that let him continue.
18 After being circumcised, was any called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision, hath any been called? let him not be circumcised:
This is what I command in all the Churches. Was any one already circumcised when called? Let him not have recourse to the surgeons. Was any one uncircumcised when called? Let him remain uncircumcised.
19 The circumcision, is, nothing, and, the uncircumcision, is, nothing, —but keeping the commandments of God.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing: obedience to God's commandments is everything.
20 Each one, in the calling wherein he was called, in the same, let him abide:
Whatever be the condition in life in which a man was, when he was called, in that let him continue.
21 A bond-servant, wast thou called? let it not cause thee concern; but, if thou canst even become, free, rather use it.
Were you a slave when God called you? Let not that weigh on your mind. And yet if you can get your freedom, take advantage of the opportunity.
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 a Christian, if he was a slave when called, is the Lord's freed man, and in the same way a free man, if called, becomes the slave of Christ.
23 With a price, have ye been bought, —do not become bond-servants of men:
You have all been redeemed at infinite cost: do not become slaves to men.
24 Each one, wherein he was called, brethren, in the same, let him abide with God.
Where each one stood when he was called, there, brethren, let him still stand--close to 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:
Concerning unmarried women I have no command to give you from the Lord; but I offer you my opinion, which is that of a man who, through the Lord's mercy, is deserving of your confidence.
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, taking into consideration the distress which is now upon us, it is well for a man to remain 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.
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to get free. Are you free from the marriage bond? Do not seek for 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.
Yet if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a maiden marries, she has not sinned. Such people, however, will have outward trouble. But I am for sparing 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,
Yet of this I warn you, brethren: the time has been shortened--so that henceforth those who have wives should be as though they had none,
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,
those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess,
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 those who use the world as not using it to the full. For the world as it now exists is passing away.
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;
And I would have you free from worldly anxiety. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's business--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 a married man concerns himself with the business 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 too between a married and an unmarried woman. She who is unmarried concerns herself with the Lord's business--that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but the married woman concerns herself with the business 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.
Thus much I say in your own interest; not to lay a trap for you, but to help towards what is becoming, and enable you to wait 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:
If, however, a father thinks he is acting unbecomingly towards his still unmarried daughter if she be past the bloom of her youth, and so the matter is urgent, let him do what she desires; he commits no sin; she and her suitor should be allowed to 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 if a father stands firm in his resolve, being free from all external constraint and having a legal right to act as he pleases, and in his own mind has come to the decision to keep his daughter unmarried, he will do 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 who gives his daughter in marriage does well, and yet he who does not give her in marriage will do 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 woman is bound to her husband during the whole period that he lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to marry whom she will, provided that he is a Christian.
40 But, happier, is she, if, so, she remain, —in my judgment; for I think, I also, have the Spirit of God.
But in my judgement, her state is a more enviable one if she remains as she is; and I also think that I have the Spirit of God.
