7:1 Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.
7:2 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
7:3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
7:4 The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.
7:5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
7:6 I say this as a concession, not as a command.
7:7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
7:8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.
7:9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
7:10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
7:11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
7:12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
7:13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.
7:14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
7:15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.
7:16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
7:17 Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.
7:18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised.
7:19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts.
7:20 Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.
7:21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you–although if you can gain your freedom, do so.
7:22 For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave.
7:23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
7:24 Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.
7:25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.
7:26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are.
7:27 Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife.
7:28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
7:29 What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;
7:30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep;
7:31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
7:32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs–how he can please the Lord.
7:33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world–how he can please his wife–
7:34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world–how she can please her husband.
7:35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
7:36 If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married.
7:37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin–this man also does the right thing.
7:38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better.
7:39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.
7:40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is–and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
7:1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
7:2 But because of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
7:3 Let the husband render to his wife that which is due, and likewise also the wife to the husband.
7:4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise the husband also does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
7:5 Do not deprive each other, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and then be together again, that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
7:6 But this I say by way of concession, not by way of command.
7:7 Yet I wish all men to be even as I am myself; but each has his own gift from God, one in this way, the other in that.
7:8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, It is good for them if they remain even as I am.
7:9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with desire.
7:10 But to the married I charge, not I but the Lord, A wife must not be separated from her husband
7:11 (But if indeed she is separated, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband), and a husband must not leave his wife.
7:12 But to the rest I say, I, not the Lord, If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she consents to dwell with him, he must not leave her;
7:13 And a wife who has an unbelieving husband, and if he consents to dwell with her, must not leave her husband.
7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
7:15 But if the unbelieving one separates, let him separate; the brother or the sister is not enslaved in such cases, but God has called us in peace.
7:16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
7:17 However as the Lord has apportioned to each one, as God has called each one, so let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches.
7:18 Was anyone called having been circumcised? He need not efface it. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He need not be circumcised.
7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of God s commandments is what counts.
7:20 Each one, in the calling in which he was called, in this let him remain.
7:21 Were you called as a slave? Let it not concern you; but even if you are able to become free, use your status as a slave rather.
7:22 For the slave who has been called in the Lord is the Lord s freedman; likewise the free man who has been called is Christ s slave.
7:23 You were bought with a price; do not be slaves of men.
7:24 Each one, brothers, in what status he was called, in this let him remain with God.
7:25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who has been shown mercy by the Lord to be faithful.
7:26 I consider then that this is good because of the present necessity, that it is good for a man to be as he is.
7:27 Have you been bound to a wife? Do not seek a release. Have you been released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
7:28 But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if the virgin marries, she has not sinned; but such ones will have affliction in the flesh, and I am trying to spare you.
7:29 But this I say, brothers, the time is shortened. Henceforth both those who have wives should be as though they had none,
7:30 And those who weep as though they did not weep, and those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, and those who buy as though they did not possess,
7:31 And those who use the world as though they did not abuse it; for the fashion of this world is passing away.
7:32 But I desire you to be without care. The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
7:33 But he who has married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
7:34 And is distracted. Both the unmarried woman and the virgin care for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but she who has married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
7:35 But this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a noose upon you but that you may be comely and may wait on the Lord without distraction.
7:36 But if anyone thinks that he is behaving unbecomingly to his virgin daughter, if she is past the bloom of youth and thus it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let them marry.
7:37 But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, and has authority with respect to his own will and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well.
7:38 So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.
7:39 A wife is bound for so long a time as her husband lives; but should the husband fall asleep, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only to one in the Lord.
7:40 But she is more blessed if she so remains, according to my opinion; but I think that I also have the Spirit of God.