1 Corinthians 7

1 Now concerning the issues you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”

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

2 But because of temptations for many immoral acts, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

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

3 The husband should give to the wife her sexual rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.

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

4 It is not the wife who has authority over her own body, it is the husband. Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

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.

5 Do not deprive each other, except by mutual agreement and for a specific period of time. Do this so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then you should come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

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.

6 But I say these things to you as a concession and not as a command.

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

7 I wish that everyone were as I am. But each one has his own gift from God. One has this kind of gift, and another that kind.

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.

8 To the unmarried and to widows I say that it is good for them if they remain unmarried, as I am.

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.

9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better for them to marry than to burn with passion.

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

10 Now to the married I give this command—not I, but the Lord—the wife should not separate from her husband

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

11 (but if she does separate from her husband, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

(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.

12 But to the rest I say—I, not the Lord—that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and if she is content to live with him, he should not divorce her.

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;

13 If a woman has an unbelieving husband, and if he is content to live with her, she should not divorce him.

and a woman who is married to a man, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with her, should not divorce her husband.

14 For the unbelieving husband is set apart because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart because of the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but actually they are set apart.

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.

15 But if the unbelieving partner departs, let him go. In such cases, the brother or sister is not bound to their vows. God has called us to live in peace.

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.

16 For how do you know, woman, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, man, whether you will save your wife?

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?

17 Only let each one live the life the Lord has assigned him, each as God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

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.

18 Was anyone circumcised when he was called to believe? He should not try to appear uncircumcised. Was anyone uncircumcised when he was called to faith? He should not be circumcised.

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.

19 For it is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision that matters. What matters is obeying the commandments of God.

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

20 Each one should remain in the calling he was in when God called him to believe.

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

21 Were you a slave when God called you? Do not be concerned about it. But if you can become free, take advantage of it.

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.

22 For someone who is called by the Lord as a slave is the Lord's freeman. Likewise, the one who was free when he was called to believe is Christ's slave.

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.

23 You have been bought with a price, so do not become slaves of men.

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

24 Brothers, in whatever life each of us was in when we were called to believe, let us remain like that.

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

25 Now concerning those who never married, I have no commandment from the Lord. But I give my opinion as one who, by the Lord's mercy, is trustworthy.

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.

26 Therefore, I think that because of the disaster that is coming, it is good for a man to remain as he is.

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.

27 Are you married to a wife? Do not seek a divorce. If you are unmarried, do not seek a wife.

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.

28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if an unmarried woman marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will have many kinds of worldly trouble, and I want to spare you from this.

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.

29 But this I say, brothers: The time is short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none.

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

30 Those who weep should act as though they were not weeping, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not possess anything,

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

31 and those who use the world should not act as though they are using it to the full. For the world in its present form is coming to an end.

and those who use the good things of the world as using them sparingly; for this world as we see it is passing away.

32 I would like you to be free from worries. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please him.

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

33 But the married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife—

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

34 he is divided. The unmarried woman or the virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to be set apart in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband.

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.

35 I say this for your own benefit, and not to put any constraint on you. I say this for what is right, so that you may be devoted to the Lord without any distraction.

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.

36 But if anyone thinks that he is not treating his fiancée with respect—if she is beyond the age of marriage and it must be so—he should do what he wants. He is not sinning. They should marry.

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.

37 But if he is standing firm in his heart, if he is not under pressure but can control his own will, and if he has decided in his own heart to do this, to keep his own fiancée a virgin, he will do well.

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.

38 So the one who marries his fiancée does well, and the one who chooses not to marry will do even better.

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

39 A woman is bound to her husband for as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she wishes to marry, but only in the Lord.

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.

40 Yet in my judgment she would be happier if she lives as she is. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

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.