1 Corinthians 7

¹And concerning the things whereof you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

²But because of fornication let every man have his own wife, & let every woman have her own husband.

³Let the husband render his debt to the wife: and the wife also in like manner to her husband.

⁴The woman hath not power of her own body: but her husband. And in like manner the man also hath not power of his own body; but the woman.

⁵Defraud not one another, except perhaps by consent for a time, that you may give yourself to prayer: and return again together, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.

⁶But I say this by indulgence, not by commandment.

⁷For I would all men to be as myself: but every one hath a proper gift of God; one so, and another so.

⁸But I say to the unmarried and to widows: It is good for them if they so abide even as I also.

⁹But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burnt.

¹⁰But to them that be joined in matrimony, not I give commandment, but our Lord, that the wife depart not from her husband:

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

¹²For to the rest, I say, not our Lord. If any brother have a wife an infidel, and she consent to dwell with him; let him not put her away.

¹³And if any woman have a husband an infidel, and he consent to dwell with her; let her not put away her husband.

¹⁴For the man an infidel is sanctified by the faithful woman; and the woman an infidel is sanctified by the faithful husband: otherwise your children should be unclean; but now they are holy.

¹⁵But if the infidel depart, let him depart. For the brother or sister is not subject to servitude in such. But in peace hath God called us.

¹⁶For how knowest thou woman, if thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou man, if thou shalt save the woman?

¹⁷But to every one as our Lord hath divided, as God hath called every one, so let him walk, and as in all Churches I teach.

¹⁸Is any man called being circumcised? Let him not procure prepuce. Is any man called in prepuce? Let him not be circumcised.

¹⁹circumcision is nothing, and prepuce is nothing: but the observation of the commandments of God.

²⁰Every one in the vocation that he was called, in it let him abide.

²¹Wast thou called being a bondman? care not for it: but and if thou canst be made free, use it rather.

²²For he that in our Lord is called, being a bondman, is the franchised of our Lord. Likewise he that is called, being free, is the bondman of Christ.

²³You were bought with price, be not made the bondmen of men.

²⁴Every brother wherein he was called, in that let him abide before God.

²⁵And as concerning virgins, a commandment of our Lord I have not: but counsel I give, as having obtained mercy of our Lord to be faithful.

²⁶I think therefore that this is good for the present necessity, because it is good for a man so to be.

²⁷Art thou tied to a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loose from a wife? seek not a wife.

²⁸But if thou take a wife, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless tribulation of the flesh shall such have. But I spare you.

²⁹This therefore I say, brethren; the time is short, it remaineth, that they also which have wives, be as though they had not;

³⁰and 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;

³¹and they that use this world, as though they used it not. For the figure of this world passeth away.

³²But I would have you to be without carefulness. He that is without a wife, is careful for the things that pertain to our Lord, how he may please God.

³³But he that is with a wife, is careful for the things that pertain to the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided.

³⁴And the woman unmarried & the virgin, thinketh on the things that pertain to our Lord: that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married, thinketh on the things that pertain to the world, how she may please her husband.

³⁵And this I speak to your profit: not to cast a snare upon you, but to that which is honest, & that may give you power without impediment to attend upon our Lord.

³⁶But if any man think that he seemeth dishonoured upon his virgin, for that she is past age, and if it must so be, let him do that he will. He sinneth not if she marry.

³⁷For he that hath determined in his heart being settled, not having necessity, but having power of his own will, and hath judged this in his heart, to keep his virgin, doeth well.

³⁸Therefore both he that joineth his virgin in matrimony, doeth well: and he that joineth not, doeth better.

³⁹A woman is bound to the law so long time as her husband liveth: but if her husband sleep, she is at liberty: let her marry to whom she will: only in our Lord.

⁴⁰But more blessed shall she be if she so remain, according to my counsel. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.