1 Corinthians 7

7Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: ^aIt is good for a man not to ^btouch a woman. ²Nevertheless, to avoid ^cfornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. ^3dLet the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. ⁴The wife ^ehath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband ^ehath not power of his own body, but the wife. ^5fDefraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to ^gfasting and prayer; and come together again, that ^hSatan ⁱtempt you not for your ^jincontinency. ⁶But I speak this by permission, and ^knot of commandment. ⁷For ^lI would that all men were ^meven as I myself. But ⁿevery man hath his proper gift of God, ^oone after this manner, and another after that.

⁸I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, ^aIt is good for them if they abide ^meven as I. ⁹But ^pif they cannot ^qcontain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. ¹⁰And unto the married I command, yet ^rnot I, but the Lord, ^sLet not the wife depart from her husband: ^11tBut and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. ¹²But ^kto the rest speak I, ^unot the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she ^wbe pleased to dwell with him, let him not ^xput her away. ¹³And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he ^wbe pleased to dwell with her, let her not ^xleave him. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else ^ywere your children unclean; but now are they ^zholy. ¹⁵But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but ^aGod hath called us ^†to peace. ¹⁶For ^bwhat knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt ^csave thy husband? or ^†how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt ^csave thy wife? ¹⁷But ^das God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ^ddordain I ^ein all churches. ¹⁸Is any man called being circumcised? ^flet him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? ^glet him not be circumcised. ^19hCircumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but ⁱthe keeping of the commandments of God. ^20kLet every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. ²¹Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. ²²For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is ^lthe Lord’s ^†freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is ^mChrist’s servant. ²³ⁿYe are bought with a price; ^obe not ye the servants of men. ²⁴Brethren, ^klet every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

²⁵Now concerning virgins ^pI have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give ^pmy judgment, as ^qone that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be ^rfaithful. ²⁶I suppose therefore that this is good for the ^spresent ^||tdistress, I say, ^uthat it is good for a man so to be. ²⁷Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. ^28vBut and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such ^wshall have trouble in the flesh: but ^xI spare you. ²⁹But this I say, brethren, ^ythe time is short: ^zit remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; ^30zAnd they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they ^apossessed not; ³¹And they that use this world, as not ^babusing it: for ^cthe ^dfashion of this world passeth away. ³²But ^eI would have you without carefulness. ^fHe that is unmarried careth for the things ^†that belong to the Lord, how he may ^gplease the Lord: ³³But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. ^34hThere is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman ^ecareth 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. ³⁵And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may ⁱcast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. ³⁶But if any man think that he ^jbehaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she ^kpass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry. ³⁷Nevertheless he that ^lstandeth ^mstedfast 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. ³⁸So then he that giveth her in marriage ⁿdoeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

^39oThe wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband ^pbe dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only ^qin the Lord. ⁴⁰But she is happier if she so abide, ^rafter my judgment: and I ^sthink also ^tthat I have the Spirit of God.