1 Corinthians 7
7
1And concerning the things of which ye wrote to me: good [it is] for a man not to touch a woman,
2and because of the whoredom let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her proper husband;
3to the wife let the husband the due benevolence render, and in like manner also the wife to the husband;
4the 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.
5Defraud 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;
6and this I say by way of concurrence — not of command,
7for 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.
8And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they may remain even as I [am];
9and if they have not continence — let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn;
10and to the married I announce — not I, but the Lord — let not a wife separate from a husband:
11but 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.
12And 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;
13and a woman who hath a husband unbelieving, and he is pleased to dwell with her, let her not send him away;
14for 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.
15And, 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;
16for 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?
17if 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:
18being circumcised — was any one called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision was any one called? let him not be circumcised;
19the circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing — but a keeping of the commands of God.
20Each in the calling in which he was called — in this let him remain;
21a servant — wast thou called? be not anxious; but if also thou art able to become free — use [it] rather;
22for 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:
23with a price ye were bought, become not servants of men;
24each, in that in which he was called, brethren, in this let him remain with God.
25And 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:
26I suppose, therefore, this to be good because of the present necessity, that [it is] good for a man that the matter be thus: —
27Hast thou been bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; hast thou been loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
28But 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.
29And this I say, brethren, the time henceforth is having been shortened — that both those having wives may be as not having;
30and those weeping, as not weeping; and those rejoicing, as not rejoicing; and those buying, as not possessing;
31and those using this world, as not using [it] up; for passing away is the fashion of this world.
32And I wish you to be without anxiety; the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;
33and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how he shall please the wife.
34The 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.
35And 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,
36and 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.
37And 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;
38so that both he who is giving in marriage doth well, and he who is not giving in marriage doth better.
39A 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;
40and she is happier if she may so remain — according to my judgment; and I think I also have the Spirit of God.
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1 Corinthians 7: YLT98
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
1 Corinthians 7
7
Questions about Marriage
1Now, to deal with the matters you wrote about.
A man does well not to marry.#7.1 A man does well not to marry; or You say that a man does well not to marry. 2But because there is so much immorality, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband. 3A man should fulfil his duty as a husband, and a woman should fulfil her duty as a wife, and each should satisfy the other's needs. 4A wife is not the master of her own body, but her husband is; in the same way a husband is not the master of his own body, but his wife is. 5Do not deny yourselves to each other, unless you first agree to do so for a while in order to spend your time in prayer; but then resume normal marital relations. In this way you will be kept from giving in to Satan's temptation because of your lack of self-control.
6I tell you this not as an order, but simply as a concession. 7Actually I would prefer that all of you were as I am; but each one has a special gift from God, one person this gift, another one that gift.
8Now, to the unmarried and to the widows I say that it would be better for you to continue to live alone as I do. 9But if you cannot restrain your desires, go ahead and marry — it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 #
Mt 5.32; 19.9; Mk 10.11–12; Lk 16.18 For married people I have a command which is not my own but the Lord's: a wife must not leave her husband; 11but if she does, she must remain single or else be reconciled to her husband; and a husband must not divorce his wife.
12To the others I say (I, myself, not the Lord): if a Christian man has a wife who is an unbeliever and she agrees to go on living with him, he must not divorce her. 13And if a Christian woman is married to a man who is an unbeliever and he agrees to go on living with her, she must not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband is made acceptable to God by being united to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made acceptable to God by being united to her Christian husband. If this were not so, their children would be like pagan children; but as it is, they are acceptable to God. 15However, if the one who is not a believer wishes to leave the Christian partner, let it be so. In such cases the Christian partner, whether husband or wife, is free to act. God has called you to live in peace. 16How can you be sure, Christian wife, that you will not save#7.16 How can you be sure… that you will not save; or How do you know… that you will save. your husband? Or how can you be sure, Christian husband, that you will not save your wife?
Live as God Called You
17Each of you should go on living according to the Lord's gift to you, and as you were when God called you. This is the rule I teach in all the churches. 18If a circumcised man has accepted God's call, he should not try to remove the marks of circumcision; if an uncircumcised man has accepted God's call, he should not get circumcised. 19For whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing; what matters is to obey God's commandments. 20Each of you should remain as you were when you accepted God's call. 21Were you a slave when God called you? Well, never mind; but if you have a chance to become free, use it.#7.21 but if you have a chance to become free, use it; or but even if you have a chance to become free, choose rather to make the best of your condition as a slave. 22For a slave who has been called by the Lord is free for the Lord; in the same way a free person who has been called by Christ is his slave. 23God bought you for a price; so do not become slaves of human beings. 24My friends, each of you should remain in fellowship with God in the same condition as you were when you were called.
Questions about the Unmarried and the Widows
25Now, concerning what you wrote about unmarried people: I do not have a command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is worthy of trust.
26Considering the present distress, I think it is better for a man to stay as he is. 27Have you got a wife? Then don't try to get rid of her. Are you unmarried? Then don't look for a wife. 28But if you do marry, you haven't committed a sin; and if an unmarried woman marries, she hasn't committed a sin. But I would rather spare you the everyday troubles that married people will have.
29What I mean, my friends, is this: there is not much time left, and from now on married men should live as though they were not married; 30those who weep, as though they were not sad; those who laugh, as though they were not happy; those who buy, as though they did not own what they bought; 31those who deal in material goods, as though they were not fully occupied with them. For this world, as it is now, will not last much longer.
32I would like you to be free from worry. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's work, because he is trying to please the Lord. 33But a married man concerns himself with worldly matters, because he wants to please his wife; 34and so he is pulled in two directions. An unmarried woman or a virgin concerns herself with the Lord's work, because she wants to be dedicated both in body and spirit; but a married woman concerns herself with worldly matters, because she wants to please her husband.
35I am saying this because I want to help you. I am not trying to put restrictions on you. Instead, I want you to do what is right and proper, and to give yourselves completely to the Lord's service without any reservation.
36In the case of an engaged couple who have decided not to marry: if the man feels that he is not acting properly towards the young woman and if his passions are too strong and he feels that they ought to marry, then they should get married, as he wants to.#7.36 an engaged couple… as he wants to; or a man and his unmarried daughter: if he feels that he is not acting properly towards her, and if she is at the right age to marry, then he should do as he wishes and let her get married. There is no sin in this. 37But if a man, without being forced to do so, has firmly made up his mind not to marry,#7.37 not to marry; or not to let his daughter get married. and if he has his will under complete control and has already decided in his own mind what to do — then he does well not to marry the young woman.#7.37 marry the young woman; or let her get married. 38So the man who marries#7.38 marries; or lets his daughter get married. does well, but the one who doesn't marry#7.38 doesn't marry; or doesn't let her get married. does even better.
39A married woman is not free as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, then she is free to be married to any man she wishes, but only if he is a Christian. 40She will be happier, however, if she stays as she is. That is my opinion, and I think that I too have God's Spirit.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.