1 Corinthians 7
1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote: it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
But of thilke thingis that ye han write to me, it is good to a man to touche not a womman.
2 But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
But for fornycacioun eche man haue his owne wijf, and ech womman haue hir owne hosebonde.
3 Let the husband fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
The hosebonde yelde dette to the wijf, and also the wijf to the hosebonde.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife.
The womman hath not power of hir bodi, but the hosebonde; and the hosebonde hath not power of his bodi, but the womman.
5 Do not deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to prayer, and may be together again, that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Nyle ye defraude eche to othere, but perauenture of consent to a tyme, that ye yyue tent to preier; and eft turne ye ayen to the same thing, lest Sathanas tempte you for youre vncontynence.
6 But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.
But Y seie this thing as yyuyng leeue, not bi comaundement.
7 Yet I wish that all people were like me. However each one has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.
For Y wole, that alle men be as my silf. But eche man hath his propre yifte of God; oon thus, and another thus.
8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am.
But Y seie to hem, that ben not weddid, and to widewis, it is good to hem, if thei dwellen so as Y.
9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry. For it's better to marry than to burn.
That if thei conteynen not hem silf, be thei weddid; for it is betere to be weddid, than to be brent.
10 But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband
But to hem that ben ioyned in matrymonye, Y comaunde, not Y, but the Lord, that the wijf departe not fro the hosebonde;
11 (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.
and that if sche departith, that sche dwelle vnweddid, or be recounselid to hir hosebonde; and the hosebonde forsake not the wijf.
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.
But to othere Y seie, not the Lord. If ony brother hath an vnfeithful wijf, and sche consenteth to dwelle with hym, leeue he hir not.
13 The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband.
And if ony womman hath an vnfeithful hosebonde, and this consentith to dwelle with hir, leeue sche not the hosebonde.
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
For the vnfeithful hosebonde is halewid bi the feithful womman, and the vnfeithful womman is halewid bi the feithful hosebonde. Ellis youre children weren vncleene, but now thei ben hooli.
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 you to peace.
That if the vnfeithful departith, departe he. For whi the brother or sistir is not suget to seruage in siche; for God hath clepid vs in pees.
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?
And wherof wost thou, womman, if thou schalt make the man saaf; or wherof wost thou, man, if thou schalt make the womman saaf?
17 Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the churches.
But as the Lord hath departid to ech, and as God hath clepid ech man, so go he, as Y teche in alle chirchis.
18 Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.
A man circumcidid is clepid, brynge he not to the prepucie. A man is clepid in prepucie, be he not circumcidid.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Circumcisioun is nouyt, and prepucie is nouyt, but the kepyng of the maundementis of God.
20 Let each person stay in that calling in which he was called.
Ech man in what clepyng he is clepid, in that dwelle he.
21 Were you called being a slave? Do not let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.
Thou seruaunt art clepid, be it no charge to thee; but if thou maist be fre, `the rather vse thou.
22 For he who was called in the Lord being a slave is the Lord's free person. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ's slave.
He that is a seruaunt, and is clepid in the Lord, is a freman of the Lord. Also he that is a freman, and is clepid, is the seruaunt of Crist.
23 You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of people.
With prijs ye ben bouyt; nyle ye be maad seruauntis of men.
24 Brothers, let each one, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.
Therfor ech man in what thing he is clepid a brothir, dwelle he in this anentis 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.
But of virgyns Y haue no comaundement of God; but Y yyue counseil, as he that hath mercy of the Lord, that Y be trewe.
26 I think that it is good therefore, because of the distress that is on us, that it is good for a person to remain as he is.
Therfor Y gesse, that this thing is good for the present nede; for it is good to a man to be so.
27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
Thou art boundun to a wijf, nyle thou seke vnbyndyng; thou art vnboundun fro a wijf, nyle thou seke a wijf.
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.
But if thou hast takun a wijf, thou hast not synned; and if a maidun is weddid, sche synnede not; nethelesse siche schulen haue tribulacioun of fleisch.
29 But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, those who have wives should be as though they had none;
But Y spare you. Therfor, britheren, Y seie this thing, The tyme is schort. Another is this, that thei that han wyues, be as thouy thei hadden noon;
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;
and thei that wepen, as thei wepten not; and thei that ioien, as thei ioieden not; and thei that bien, as thei hadden not;
31 and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the form of this world is passing away.
and thei that vsen this world, as thei that vsen not. For whi the figure of this world passith.
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;
But Y wole, that ye be without bisynesse, for he that is without wijf, is bisi what thingis ben of the Lord, hou he schal plese God.
33 but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
But he that is with a wijf, is bysy what thingis ben of the world, hou he schal plese the wijf, and he is departid.
34 and is divided. And the woman that is unmarried, or a virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the one that is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
And a womman vnweddid and maidun thenkith what thingis ben of the Lord, that sche be hooli in bodi and spirit. But sche that is weddid, thenkith what thingis ben of the world, hou sche schal plese the hosebonde.
35 This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction.
And Y seie these thingis to youre profit, not that Y caste to you a snare, but to that that is onest, and that yyueth esynesse, with outen lettyng to make preieris to the Lord.
36 But if anyone 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 does not sin. Let them marry.
And if ony man gessith hym silf to be seyn foule on his virgyn, that sche is ful woxun, and so it bihoueth to be doon, do sche that that sche wole; sche synneth not, if sche be weddid.
37 But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own heart, to keep his own virgin, does well.
For he that ordeynede stabli in his herte, not hauynge nede, but hauynge power of his wille, and hath demed in his herte this thing, to kepe his virgyn, doith wel.
38 So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage does better.
Therfore he that ioyneth his virgyn in matrymonye, doith wel; and he that ioyneth not, doith betere.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, only in the Lord.
The womman is boundun to the lawe, as longe tyme as hir hosebonde lyueth; and if hir hosebonde is deed, sche is delyuered fro the lawe of the hosebonde, be sche weddid to whom sche wole, oneli in the Lord.
40 But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God's Spirit.
But sche schal be more blessid, if sche dwellith thus, aftir my counsel; and Y wene, that Y haue the Spirit of God.
