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
Principles of Marriage
1Now in response to the matters you wrote # Other mss add to me about: “It is good for a man not to have relations with # Lit not to touch a woman.” # The words in quotation marks are a principle that the Corinthians wrote to Paul about to ask for his view. 2But because sexual immorality is so common, # Lit because of immoralities # 1Th 4:3 each man should have his own wife, # Mt 1:6; 1Pt 3:1 and each woman should have her own husband. 3A husband should fulfill his marital responsibility # Rm 13:7 to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. 4A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. 5Do not deprive # Mk 10:19 one another sexually — except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to # Other mss add fasting and to prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6I say the following # Lit say this ; some interpret the word as referring to v. 2, vv. 2-5, v. 5 (wholly or in part), or v. 6 as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all people were just like me. But each has his own gift # 2Co 1:11 from God, one person in this way and another in that way.
A Word to the Unmarried
8I say to the unmarried and to widows: # Jms 1:27 It is good for them if they remain as I am. 9But if they do not have self-control, # 1Co 9:25 they should marry, for it is better to marry # 1Tm 5:14 than to burn with desire.
About Married People
10I command the married # 1Tm 5:14 — not I, but the Lord — a wife is not to leave # Or separate from, or divorce her husband. 11But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband — and a husband is not to leave his wife. # Dt 22:19 12But I (not the Lord) # Jesus did not address the situation of a marriage in the Gentile world where only one person is a believer. say to the rest: If any brother # Ac 9:30 has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not leave her. 13Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not leave her husband. 14For the unbelieving husband is set apart for God # Lk 11:2 by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart for God by the husband. # Lit the brother Otherwise your children would be corrupt, but now they are set apart for God. 15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you # Other mss read us to live in peace. 16For you, wife, how do you know whether you will save your husband? Or you, husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife?
Various Situations of Life
17However, each one must live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called # Col 3:15 him. # Lit called each This is what I command in all the churches. 18Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. 19Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter, but keeping God’s commands does. 20Each person should remain in the life situation # Lit in the calling in which he was called. 21Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity. # Or But even though you can become free, make the most of your position as a slave. 22For he who is called by the Lord as a slave # Rm 1:1; 2Tm 2:24 is the Lord’s freedman. # A former slave Likewise he who is called as a free man # A man who was never a slave is Christ’s slave. 23You were bought # 2Pt 2:1 at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24Brothers, each person should remain with God in whatever situation he was called.
About the Unmarried and Widows
25About virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy # Mt 5:7; Mk 5:19; Lk 1:50 is trustworthy. # Nm 12:7 26Therefore I consider this to be good because of the present distress: It is fine for a man to remain as he is. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28However, if you do get married, # 1Tm 5:14 you have not sinned, and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life, # Lit in the flesh and I am trying to spare you. 29And I say this, brothers: The time is limited, # Rm 13:11 so from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none, 30those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice # Php 1:18 as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, 31and those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it. For this world in its current form is passing away. # Mk 13:7; 1Jn 2:8
32I want you to be without concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord — how he may please # 1Th 4:1 the Lord. 33But a married man is concerned about the things of the world — how he may please his wife — 34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, # 1Tm 5:5 so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world — how she may please her husband. 35Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but because of what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.
36But if any man thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin, # = a man’s fiancée, or his daughter, or his Levirate wife, or a celibate companion if she is past marriageable age, # Or virgin, if his passions are strong, and so it must be, he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; they can get married. 37But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will # Jn 1:13) and has decided in his heart to keep his own virgin, will do well. 38So then he who marries # Or marries off his virgin does well, but he who does not marry # Or marry her off will do better.
39A wife is bound # Other mss add by law as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants — only in the Lord. # Only a believer 40But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
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