1 Corinthians 7

1 And concerning the things of which ye wrote to me: good [it is] for a man not to touch a woman,

But of thilke thingis that ye han write to me, it is good to a man to touche not a womman.

2 and because of the whoredom let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her proper husband;

But for fornycacioun eche man haue his owne wijf, and ech womman haue hir owne hosebonde.

3 to the wife let the husband the due benevolence render, and in like manner also the wife to the husband;

The hosebonde yelde dette to the wijf, and also the wijf to the hosebonde.

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

The womman hath not power of hir bodi, but the hosebonde; and the hosebonde hath not power of his bodi, but the womman.

5 Defraud not one another, except by consent for a time, that ye may be free for fasting and prayer, and again may come together, that the Adversary may not tempt you because of your incontinence;

Nyle ye defraude eche to othere, but perauenture of consent to a tyme, that ye yyue tent to preier; and eft turne ye ayen to the same thing, lest Sathanas tempte you for youre vncontynence.

6 and this I say by way of concurrence — not of command,

But Y seie this thing as yyuyng leeue, not bi comaundement.

7 for I wish all men to be even as I myself [am]; but each his own gift hath of God, one indeed thus, and one thus.

For Y wole, that alle men be as my silf. But eche man hath his propre yifte of God; oon thus, and another thus.

8 And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they may remain even as I [am];

But Y seie to hem, that ben not weddid, and to widewis, it is good to hem, if thei dwellen so as Y.

9 and if they have not continence — let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn;

That if thei conteynen not hem silf, be thei weddid; for it is betere to be weddid, than to be brent.

10 and to the married I announce — not I, but the Lord — let not a wife separate from a husband:

But to hem that ben ioyned in matrymonye, Y comaunde, not Y, but the Lord, that the wijf departe not fro the hosebonde;

11 but and if she may separate, let her remain unmarried, or to the husband let her be reconciled, and let not a husband send away a wife.

and that if sche departith, that sche dwelle vnweddid, or be recounselid to hir hosebonde; and the hosebonde forsake not the wijf.

12 And to the rest I speak — not the Lord — if any brother hath a wife unbelieving, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not send her away;

But to othere Y seie, not the Lord. If ony brother hath an vnfeithful wijf, and sche consenteth to dwelle with hym, leeue he hir not.

13 and a woman who hath a husband unbelieving, and he is pleased to dwell with her, let her not send him away;

And if ony womman hath an vnfeithful hosebonde, and this consentith to dwelle with hir, leeue sche not the hosebonde.

14 for the unbelieving husband hath been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife hath been sanctified in the husband; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

For the vnfeithful hosebonde is halewid bi the feithful womman, and the vnfeithful womman is halewid bi the feithful hosebonde. Ellis youre children weren vncleene, but now thei ben hooli.

15 And, if the unbelieving doth separate himself — let him separate himself: the brother or the sister is not under servitude in such [cases], and in peace hath God called us;

That if the vnfeithful departith, departe he. For whi the brother or sistir is not suget to seruage in siche; for God hath clepid vs in pees.

16 for what, hast thou known, O wife, whether the husband thou shalt save? or what, hast thou known, O husband, whether the wife thou shalt save?

And wherof wost thou, womman, if thou schalt make the man saaf; or wherof wost thou, man, if thou schalt make the womman saaf?

17 if not, as God did distribute to each, as the Lord hath called each — so let him walk; and thus in all the assemblies do I direct:

But as the Lord hath departid to ech, and as God hath clepid ech man, so go he, as Y teche in alle chirchis.

18 being circumcised — was any one called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision was any one called? let him not be circumcised;

A man circumcidid is clepid, brynge he not to the prepucie. A man is clepid in prepucie, be he not circumcidid.

19 the circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing — but a keeping of the commands of God.

Circumcisioun is nouyt, and prepucie is nouyt, but the kepyng of the maundementis of God.

20 Each in the calling in which he was called — in this let him remain;

Ech man in what clepyng he is clepid, in that dwelle he.

21 a servant — wast thou called? be not anxious; but if also thou art able to become free — use [it] rather;

Thou seruaunt art clepid, be it no charge to thee; but if thou maist be fre, `the rather vse thou.

22 for he who [is] in the Lord — having been called a servant — is the Lord's freedman: in like manner also he the freeman, having been called, is servant of Christ:

He that is a seruaunt, and is clepid in the Lord, is a freman of the Lord. Also he that is a freman, and is clepid, is the seruaunt of Crist.

23 with a price ye were bought, become not servants of men;

With prijs ye ben bouyt; nyle ye be maad seruauntis of men.

24 each, in that in which he was called, brethren, in this let him remain with God.

Therfor ech man in what thing he is clepid a brothir, dwelle he in this anentis God.

25 And concerning the virgins, a command of the Lord I have not; and I give judgment as having obtained kindness from the Lord to be faithful:

But of virgyns Y haue no comaundement of God; but Y yyue counseil, as he that hath mercy of the Lord, that Y be trewe.

26 I suppose, therefore, this to be good because of the present necessity, that [it is] good for a man that the matter be thus: —

Therfor Y gesse, that this thing is good for the present nede; for it is good to a man to be so.

27 Hast thou been bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; hast thou been loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

Thou art boundun to a wijf, nyle thou seke vnbyndyng; thou art vnboundun fro a wijf, nyle thou seke a wijf.

28 But and if thou mayest marry, thou didst not sin; and if the virgin may marry, she did not sin; and such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I spare you.

But if thou hast takun a wijf, thou hast not synned; and if a maidun is weddid, sche synnede not; nethelesse siche schulen haue tribulacioun of fleisch.

29 And this I say, brethren, the time henceforth is having been shortened — that both those having wives may be as not having;

But Y spare you. Therfor, britheren, Y seie this thing, The tyme is schort. Another is this, that thei that han wyues, be as thouy thei hadden noon;

30 and those weeping, as not weeping; and those rejoicing, as not rejoicing; and those buying, as not possessing;

and thei that wepen, as thei wepten not; and thei that ioien, as thei ioieden not; and thei that bien, as thei hadden not;

31 and those using this world, as not using [it] up; for passing away is the fashion of this world.

and thei that vsen this world, as thei that vsen not. For whi the figure of this world passith.

32 And I wish you to be without anxiety; the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;

But Y wole, that ye be without bisynesse, for he that is without wijf, is bisi what thingis ben of the Lord, hou he schal plese God.

33 and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how he shall please the wife.

But he that is with a wijf, is bysy what thingis ben of the world, hou he schal plese the wijf, and he is departid.

34 The wife and the virgin have been distinguished: the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how she shall please the husband.

And a womman vnweddid and maidun thenkith what thingis ben of the Lord, that sche be hooli in bodi and spirit. But sche that is weddid, thenkith what thingis ben of the world, hou sche schal plese the hosebonde.

35 And this for your own profit I say: not that I may cast a noose upon you, but for the seemliness and devotedness to the Lord, undistractedly,

And Y seie these thingis to youre profit, not that Y caste to you a snare, but to that that is onest, and that yyueth esynesse, with outen lettyng to make preieris to the Lord.

36 and if any one doth think [it] to be unseemly to his virgin, if she may be beyond the bloom of age, and it ought so to be, what he willeth let him do; he doth not sin — let him marry.

And if ony man gessith hym silf to be seyn foule on his virgyn, that sche is ful woxun, and so it bihoueth to be doon, do sche that that sche wole; sche synneth not, if sche be weddid.

37 And he who hath stood stedfast in the heart — not having necessity — and hath authority over his own will, and this he hath determined in his heart — to keep his own virgin — doth well;

For he that ordeynede stabli in his herte, not hauynge nede, but hauynge power of his wille, and hath demed in his herte this thing, to kepe his virgyn, doith wel.

38 so that both he who is giving in marriage doth well, and he who is not giving in marriage doth better.

Therfore he that ioyneth his virgyn in matrymonye, doith wel; and he that ioyneth not, doith betere.

39 A wife hath been bound by law as long time as her husband may live, and if her husband may sleep, she is free to be married to whom she will — only in the Lord;

The womman is boundun to the lawe, as longe tyme as hir hosebonde lyueth; and if hir hosebonde is deed, sche is delyuered fro the lawe of the hosebonde, be sche weddid to whom sche wole, oneli in the Lord.

40 and she is happier if she may so remain — according to my judgment; and I think I also have the Spirit of God.

But sche schal be more blessid, if sche dwellith thus, aftir my counsel; and Y wene, that Y haue the Spirit of God.