1 Corinthians 7

1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman.

With reference to the subjects about which you wrote to me: It is good for a man to remain single.

2 But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

But, owing to the prevalence of immorality, I advise every man to have his own wife, and every woman her husband.

3 Let the husband give his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife her husband.

A husband should give his wife her due, and a wife her husband.

4 The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

It is not the wife, but the husband, who exercises power over her body; and so, too, it is not the husband, but the wife, who exercises power over his body.

5 Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Do not deprive each other of what is due – unless it is only for a time and by mutual consent, so that your minds may be free for prayer until you again live as man and wife – otherwise Satan might take advantage of your want of self-control and tempt you.

6 But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.

I say this, however, as a concession, not as a command.

7 Yet I wish that all men were like me. However, each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.

I should wish everyone to be just what I am myself. But everyone has his own gift from God – one in one way, and one in another.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am.

My advice, then, to those who are not married, and to widows, is this: It would be good for them to remain as I am myself.

9 But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn with passion.

But, if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be consumed with passion.

10 But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband

To those who are married my direction is – yet it is not mine, but the Master’s – that a woman is not to leave her husband

11 (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.

(If she has done so, she should remain as she is, or else be reconciled to her husband) and also that a man is not to divorce his wife.

12 But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her.

To all others I say – I, not the Master – If a follower of the Lord is married to a woman, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with him, he should not divorce her;

13 The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband.

and a woman who is married to a man, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with her, should not divorce her husband.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

For, through his wife, the husband who is an unbeliever has become associated with Christ’s people; and the wife who is an unbeliever has become associated with Christ’s people through the Lord’s follower whom she has married. Otherwise your children would be ‘defiled,’ but, as it is, they belong to Christ’s people.

15 Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.

However, if the unbeliever wishes to be separated, let them be so. Under such circumstances neither is bound; God has called you to live in peace.

16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

How can you tell, wife, whether you may not save your husband? And how can you tell, husband, whether you may not save your wife?

17 Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies.

In any case, a person should continue to live in the condition which the Lord has allotted to them, and in which they were when God called them. This is the rule that I lay down in every church.

18 Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.

Was a man already circumcised when he was called? Then he should not efface his circumcision. Has a man been called when uncircumcised? Then he should not be circumcised.

19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is keeping God’s commandments.

Circumcision is nothing; the want of it is nothing; but to keep the commands of God is everything.

20 Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.

Let everyone remain in that condition of life in which they were when the call came to them.

21 Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.

Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that trouble you. No, even if you are able to gain your freedom, still do your best.

22 For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s bondservant.

For the person who was a slave when they were called to the master’s service is the Master’s freedman; so, too, the person who was free when called is Christ’s slave.

23 You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.

You were bought, and the price was paid. Do not let yourselves become slaves to people.

24 Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.

Friends, let everyone remain in the condition in which they were when they were called, in close communion with God.

25 Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.

With regard to unmarried women, I have no command from the Master to give you, but I tell you my opinion, and the Master in his mercy has made me worthy to be trusted.

26 Therefore I think that because of the distress that is on us, it’s good for a man to remain as he is.

I think, then, that, in view of the time of suffering that has now come upon us, what I have already said is best – that a man should remain as he is.

27 Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife.

Are you married to a wife? Then do not seek to be separated. Are you separated from a wife? Then do not seek for a wife.

28 But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to spare you.

Still, if you should marry, that is not wrong; nor, if a young woman marries, is that wrong. But those who marry will have much trouble to bear, and my wish is to spare you.

29 But I say this, brothers: the time is short. From now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;

What I mean, friends, is this – the time is short. Meanwhile, let those who have wives live as if they had none,

30 and those who weep, as though they didn’t weep; and those who rejoice, as though they didn’t rejoice; and those who buy, as though they didn’t possess;

those who are weeping as if not weeping, those who are rejoicing as if not rejoicing, those who buy as if not possessing,

31 and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.

and those who use the good things of the world as using them sparingly; for this world as we see it is passing away.

32 But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

I want you to be free from anxiety. The unmarried man is anxious about the Master’s cause, desiring to please him;

33 but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

while the married man is anxious about worldly matters, desiring to please his wife;

34 There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

and so his interests are divided. Again, the unmarried woman, whether she is old or young, is anxious about the Master’s cause, striving to be pure both in body and in spirit, while the married woman is anxious about worldly matters, desiring to please her husband.

35 This I say for your own benefit, not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction.

I say this for your own benefit, not with any intention of putting a halter around your necks, but in order to secure for the Master seemly and constant devotion, free from all distraction.

36 But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He doesn’t sin. Let them marry.

If, however, a father thinks that he is not acting fairly by his unmarried daughter, when she is past her youth, and if under these circumstances her marriage ought to take place, he should act as he thinks right. He is doing nothing wrong – let the marriage take place.

37 But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no urgency, but has power over his own will, and has determined in his own heart to keep his own virgin, does well.

On the other hand, a father, who has definitely made up his mind, and is under no compulsion, but is free to carry out his own wishes, and who has come to the decision, in his own mind, to keep his unmarried daughter at home will be doing right.

38 So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn’t give her in marriage does better.

In short, the one who consents to his daughter’s marriage is doing right, and yet the other will be doing better.

39 A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, only in the Lord.

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but, if the husband should pass to his rest, the widow is free to marry anyone she wishes, provided he is a believer.

40 But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God’s Spirit.

Yet she will be happier if she remains as she is – in my opinion, for I think that I also have the Spirit of God.