1 Corinthians 7

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

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

³Let the husband fulfill the due benevolence to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

⁴The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

⁵Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by mutual agreement for a season, so that you may devote yourselves to fasting and to prayer, and again be together, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

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

⁷Now I wish all people to be as I myself am. But each person has his own gift from God, one in one way and another in another.

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

⁹But if they do not have self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰But to those who are married I give this charge — not I, but the Lord — that a wife is not to be separated from her husband.

¹¹but if indeed she is separated, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband; and a husband is not to send away his wife.

¹²But to the rest I say — I, not the Lord: if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to dwell with him, let him not divorce her.

¹³And a woman, if she has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce her husband.

¹⁴For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified in the brother; otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy.

¹⁵But if the unbeliever separates, let him separate; the brother or the sister is not bound in such cases. But God has called you into peace.

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

¹⁷Only, let each one walk as the Lord has assigned to him, each as God has called him — and so I direct in all the churches.

¹⁸Was anyone called as circumcised? Let him not seek uncircumcision. Was anyone called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.

¹⁹Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God.

²⁰Let each one remain in the calling in which he was called.

²²For the one who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord's freedman; likewise the one who was called as free is a slave of Christ.

²³You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.

²⁴Each one, in whatever [state] he was called, brothers — in this let him remain with God.

²⁵Now concerning the virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give a judgment, as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.

²⁶I think therefore that this is good on account of the present distress — that it is good for a person to remain as he is.

²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Have you been loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

²⁸But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if the virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such people will have affliction in the flesh — and I would spare you that.

²⁹But this I say, brothers and sisters: the time is shortened. From now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none,

³⁰and those who weep as though they were not weeping, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions,

³¹and those who make use of the world as though not making full use of it — for the outward form of this world is passing away.

³²But I desire you to be free from anxiety. The unmarried man cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.

³³but the one who has married is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,

³⁴and he is divided. The unmarried woman and the virgin is concerned for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but the one who has married is concerned for the things of the world — how she may please her husband.

³⁵But I say this for your own benefit, not to place a restraint upon you, but for what is seemly and for devoted attendance on the Lord without distraction.

³⁶But if anyone thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past her prime and it ought so to be, let him do what he wishes; he does not sin — let them marry.

³⁷But whoever stands firm in his heart, not being under compulsion but having authority over his own will, and has judged this in his own heart to keep his own virgin, will do well.

³⁸So then, he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

³⁹A wife is bound for as long a time as her husband lives; but if her husband falls asleep, she is free to be married to whom she wishes — only in the Lord.

⁴⁰But she is more blessed if she remains as she is, according to my judgment — and I think I also have the Spirit of God.