1 Corinthians, 7

1. Now for the questions about which you wrote. Yes, it is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman;

1. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman.

2. yet to avoid immorality every man should have his own wife and every woman her own husband.

2. Nevertheless, [to avoid] fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

3. The husband must give to his wife what she has a right to expect, and so too the wife to her husband.

3. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

4. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and in the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

4. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

5. You must not deprive each other, except by mutual consent for a limited time, to leave yourselves free for prayer, and to come together again afterwards; otherwise Satan may take advantage of any lack of self-control to put you to the test.

5. Defraud ye not one the other, except [it be] with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

6. I am telling you this as a concession, not an order.

6. But I speak this by permission, [and] not of commandment.

7. I should still like everyone to be as I am myself; but everyone has his own gift from God, one this kind and the next something different.

7. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

8. To the unmarried and to widows I say: it is good for them to stay as they are, like me.

8. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

9. But if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry, since it is better to be married than to be burnt up.

9. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

10. To the married I give this ruling, and this is not mine but the Lord's: a wife must not be separated from her husband-

10. And unto the married I command, [yet] not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from [her] husband:

11. or if she has already left him, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband -- and a husband must not divorce his wife.

11. But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to [her] husband: and let not the husband put away [his] wife.

12. For other cases these instructions are my own, not the Lord's. If one of the brothers has a wife who is not a believer, and she is willing to stay with him, he should not divorce her;

12. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

13. and if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to stay with her, she should not divorce her husband.

13. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14. You see, the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through the brother. If this were not so, your children would be unclean, whereas in fact they are holy.

14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

15. But if the unbeliever chooses to leave, then let the separation take place: in these circumstances, the brother or sister is no longer tied. But God has called you to live in peace:

15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such [cases]: but God hath called us to peace.

16. as a wife, how can you tell whether you are to be the salvation of your husband; as a husband, how can you tell whether you are to be the salvation of your wife?

16. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save [thy] husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save [thy] wife?

17. Anyway let everyone continue in the part which the Lord has allotted to him, as he was when God called him. This is the rule that I give to all the churches.

17. But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

18. If a man who is called has already been circumcised, then he must stay circumcised; when an uncircumcised man is called, he may not be circumcised.

18. Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

19. To be circumcised is of no importance, and to be uncircumcised is of no importance; what is important is the keeping of God's commandments.

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

20. Everyone should stay in whatever state he was in when he was called.

20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

21. So, if when you were called, you were a slave, do not think it matters -- even if you have a chance of freedom, you should prefer to make full use of your condition as a slave.

21. Art thou called [being] a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use [it] rather.

22. You see, anyone who was called in the Lord while a slave, is a freeman of the Lord; and in the same way, anyone who was free when called, is a slave of Christ.

22. For he that is called in the Lord, [being] a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, [being] free, is Christ's servant.

23. You have been bought at a price; do not be slaves now to any human being.

23. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

24. Each one of you, brothers, is to stay before God in the state in which you were called.

24. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

25. About people remaining virgin, I have no directions from the Lord, but I give my own opinion as a person who has been granted the Lord's mercy to be faithful.

25. Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

26. Well then, because of the stress which is weighing upon us, the right thing seems to be this: it is good for people to stay as they are.

26. I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, [I say], that [it is] good for a man so to be.

27. If you are joined to a wife, do not seek to be released; if you are freed of a wife, do not look for a wife.

27. Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

28. However, if you do get married, that is not a sin, and it is not sinful for a virgin to enter upon marriage. But such people will have the hardships consequent on human nature, and I would like you to be without that.

28. But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

29. What I mean, brothers, is that the time has become limited, and from now on, those who have spouses should live as though they had none;

29. But this I say, brethren, the time [is] short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

30. and those who mourn as though they were not mourning; those who enjoy life as though they did not enjoy it; those who have been buying property as though they had no possessions;

30. And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;

31. and those who are involved with the world as though they were people not engrossed in it. Because this world as we know it is passing away.

31. And they that use this world, as not abusing [it]: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

32. I should like you to have your minds free from all worry. The unmarried man gives his mind to the Lord's affairs and to how he can please the Lord;

32. But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

33. but the man who is married gives his mind to the affairs of this world and to how he can please his wife, and he is divided in mind.

33. But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please [his] wife.

34. So, too, the unmarried woman, and the virgin, gives her mind to the Lord's affairs and to being holy in body and spirit; but the married woman gives her mind to the affairs of this world and to how she can please her husband.

34. There is difference [also] between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please [her] husband.

35. I am saying this only to help you, not to put a bridle on you, but so that everything is as it should be, and you are able to give your undivided attention to the Lord.

35. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

36. If someone with strong passions thinks that he is behaving badly towards his fiance'e and that things should take their due course, he should follow his desires. There is no sin in it; they should marry.

36. But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of [her] age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.

37. But if he stands firm in his resolution, without any compulsion but with full control of his own will, and decides to let her remain as his fiance'e, then he is acting well.

37. Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.

38. In other words, he who marries his fiance'e is doing well, and he who does not, better still.

38. So then he that giveth [her] in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth [her] not in marriage doeth better.

39. A wife is tied as long as her husband is alive. But if the husband dies, she is free to marry anybody she likes, only it must be in the Lord.

39. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

40. She would be happier if she stayed as she is, to my way of thinking -- and I believe that I too have the Spirit of God.

40. But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.