1 Corinthians 7

1 Now about what you wrote to me: “It's good not to marry.”

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

2 However, because of the temptation to sexual immorality, it is better that each man have his own wife, and each woman 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 The husband should meet his wife's sexual needs, and the wife her husband's.

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

4 The wife's body doesn't just belong to her, but her husband; and similarly the husband's body doesn't just belong to him but his wife.

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 So don't deprive each other, except by mutual consent for a while— for example because you want to spend time in prayer. Afterwards be together again so that Satan won't tempt you to sin 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 I'm telling you this not as a command, but as a concession.

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

7 However, I wish that everyone was like me, but each person has their own gift from God—one has this gift, one has another.

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 To those who are not yet married, or who are widowed, I would say it is better if they remain like me.

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 lack self-control, then they should get married—for it is better to marry than burn with desire.

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

10 These are my instructions to those who are married—in fact not from me but the Lord: The wife should 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 (or if she does, she should not re-marry, or she should return to her husband); and the husband should 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 Now, to the rest of you, (and this is me speaking, not the Lord), I would say, “If a Christian man has a non-Christian wife and she is willing to stay with him, he should 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 And if a Christian woman has a non-Christian husband, and he is willing to stay with her, she should 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 a husband who is not a Christian, the marriage relationship is made holy by the Christian wife, and for a wife who is not a Christian, the marriage relationship is made holy by the Christian husband. Otherwise it would mean your children were impure, 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 However, if the non-Christian spouse leaves, let them leave. In such cases the Christian man or woman is not slavishly bound, for God has called us to live 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 Wives, who knows? You may save your husband! Husbands, who knows? You may 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 Apart from such cases, each of you should remain in the situation that the Lord has placed you, and continue to live the life to which God has called you. That's my instruction to all the churches.

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 Were you circumcised when you were converted? Don't become uncircumcised. Were you uncircumcised when you were converted? Don't become 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 doesn't mean anything, and uncircumcision doesn't mean anything. Keeping the commandments of God is what really matters.

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

20 Everyone should remain in the position they were in when they were called.

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

21 If you were a slave when you were called, don't worry—though if you have an opportunity to become free, take 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 If you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free, working for the Lord. In the same way if you were called when you were free, you are now Christ's slave!

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 A price has been paid for you, so don't become a slave to anyone.

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

24 Brothers and sisters, remain in the position you were in when you were called, living with God.

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

25 Now about “people who are not married,” I don't have a specific instruction from the Lord, so let me give you my opinion as someone who by the Lord's mercy is considered 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 Because of the present difficult situation we are in I think it is best to just stay as you are.

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 already married? Don't try to get divorced. Are you unmarried? Don't look to get married.

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 If you do get married, you haven't sinned. If an unmarried woman gets married, she hasn't sinned. But you will have many troubles in this current world and I would want to spare you these.

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 I'm telling you, brothers and sisters, that time is short, and from now on for those who are married it may seem as if they are not married,

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 if they did not weep, and those that celebrated as if they had not celebrated, and those that bought as if they did not own,

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 are engaged with the world as if it is not fulfilling—for the present world order is passing 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 I would prefer you to be free from such worries. A man who is not married pays attention to what is important to the Lord, and how he can 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 a man who is married pays attention to what is important in this world, and how he can please his wife.

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

34 As a result his loyalties are divided. Similarly an unmarried woman or girl pays attention to what is important to the Lord, so she may live a life dedicated both in body and spirit. But a married woman pays attention to what is important in this world, and how she can 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 I'm telling you this for your benefit. I'm not trying to put a noose around your neck, but to show you the right thing to do so you can serve the Lord without being distracted.

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 a man thinks he's behaving improperly with the woman he's engaged to, and if he thinks he will give in to his strong sexual desire, and if he thinks he ought to get married, he is not sinning by getting married.

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 if a man stays true to his principles, and there is no obligation to marry, and has the power to keep his feelings under control and stay engaged to her, he does well not to marry.

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 the man who marries the woman he's engaged to does well, while the one who does not get married 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 to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry whoever she wants 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 in my opinion she would be happier if she didn't re-marry—and I think I too have the Spirit of God when I say this.

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.