1 Corinthians 7
7
1Nowe concerning the thinges whereof ye wrote vnto mee, It were good for a man not to touche a woman. 2Neuertheles, to auoide fornication, let euery man haue his wife, and let euery woman haue her owne husband. 3Let the husband giue vnto the wife due beneuolence, and likewise also the wife vnto the husband. 4The wife hath not the power of her owne bodie, but ye husband: and likewise also the husband hath not ye power of his own body, but the wife. 5Defraude not one another, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may giue your selues to fasting and praier, and againe come together that Satan tempt you not for your incontinecie. 6But I speake this by permission, not by commandement. 7For I woulde that all men were euen as I my selfe am: but euery man hath his proper gift of God, one after this maner, and another after that. 8Therefore I say vnto the vnmaried, and vnto the widowes, It is good for them if they abide euen as I doe. 9But if they cannot abstaine, let them marrie: for it is better to marrie then to burne. 10And vnto ye maried I comand, not I, but ye Lord, Let not ye wife depart from her husband. 11But and if shee depart, let her remaine vnmaried, or be reconciled vnto her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife. 12But to ye remnant I speake, and not ye Lord, If any brother haue a wife, ye beleeueth not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not forsake her. 13And the woman which hath an husband that beleeueth not, if he be content to dwell with her, let her not forsake him. 14For the vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified to the wife, and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified to the husband, els were your children vncleane: but nowe are they holie. 15But if the vnbeleeuing depart, let him depart: a brother or a sister is not in subiection in such things: but God hath called vs in peace. 16For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt saue thine husband? Or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt saue thy wife? 17But as God hath distributed to euery man, as the Lord hath called euery one, so let him walke: and so ordaine I, in all Churches. 18Is any man called being circumcised? let him not gather his vncircumcision: is any called vncircumcised? let him not be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing, and vncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandements of God. 20Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called. 21Art thou called being a seruant? care not for it: but if yet thou maiest be free, vse it rather. 22For he that is called in the Lord, being. a seruant, is the Lords freeman: likewise also he that is called being free, is Christes seruant. 23Yee are bought with a price: be not the seruants of men. 24Brethren, let euery man, wherein hee was called, therein abide with God. 25Nowe concerning virgines, I haue no commandement of the Lord: but I giue mine aduise, as one that hath obtained mercie of the Lord to be faithfull. 26I suppose then this to bee good for the present necessitie: I meane that it is good for a man so to be. 27Art thou bounde vnto a wife? seeke not to be loosed: art thou loosed from a wife? seeke not a wife. 28But if thou takest a wife, thou sinnest not: and if a virgine marrie, shee sinneth not: neuerthelesse, such shall haue trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. 29And this I say, brethren, because the time is short, hereafter that both they which haue wiues, be as though they had none: 30And they that weepe, as though they wept not: and they that reioyce, as though they reioyced not: and they that bye, as though they possessed not: 31And they that vse this worlde, as though they vsed it not: for the fashion of this worlde goeth away. 32And I would haue you without care. The vnmaried careth for the things of the Lord, howe he may please the Lord. 33But hee that is maried, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. 34There is difference also betweene a virgine and a wife: the vnmaried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in body and in spirite: but shee that is maried, careth for the things of the worlde, howe shee may please her husband. 35And this I speake for your owne commoditie, not to tangle you in a snare, but that yee follow that, which is honest, and that yee may cleaue fast vnto the Lord without separation. 36But if any man thinke that it is vncomely for his virgine, if shee passe the flower of her age, and neede so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them be maried. 37Neuerthelesse, hee that standeth firme in his heart, that hee hath no neede, but hath power ouer his owne will, and hath so decreed in his heart, that hee will keepe his virgine, hee doeth well. 38So then hee that giueth her to mariage, doeth well, but he that giueth her not to mariage, doeth better. 39The wife is bounde by the Lawe, as long as her husband liueth: but if her husband bee dead, shee is at libertie to marie with whome she will, onely in the Lord. 40But shee is more blessed, if she so abide, in my iudgement: and I thinke that I haue also the Spirite of God.
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1 Corinthians 7
7
Instruction on Marriage
1Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations.#7:1 Or to live a celibate life; Greek reads It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
3The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. 4The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.
5Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.
8So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. 9But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.
10But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord.#7:10 See Matt 5:32; 19:9; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18. A wife must not leave her husband. 11But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.
12Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a fellow believer#7:12 Greek a brother. has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. 13And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 14For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband#7:14 Greek the brother. brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. 15(But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife#7:15a Greek the brother or sister. is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you#7:15b Some manuscripts read us. to live in peace.) 16Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?
17Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. 18For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. 19For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.
20Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. 21Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. 22And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. 23God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.#7:23 Greek don’t become slaves of people. 24Each of you, dear brothers and sisters,#7:24 Greek brothers; also in 7:29. should remain as you were when God first called you.
25Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. 26Because of the present crisis,#7:26 Or the pressures of life. I think it is best to remain as you are. 27If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. 28But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems.
29But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. 30Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. 31Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.
32I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 34His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 35I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.
36But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. 37But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. 38So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.
39A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord.#7:39 Greek but only in the Lord. 40But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.
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