7Now concerning the things about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to touch^a a woman.” ²But because of sexual immorality, let each man have^b his own wife and let each woman have her own husband. ³The husband must fulfill his obligation to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴The wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband does. And likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but his wife does. ⁵Do not defraud one another, except perhaps by agreement, for a time, in order that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and then you should be together^c again, lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self control. ⁶But I say this as a concession, not as a command. ⁷I wish all people could be like myself, but each one has his own gift from God, one in this way and another in that way.

⁸Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am. ⁹But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.

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Footnotes

aI.e., in a sexual sense
bI.e., in the sense of “have sexual relations with”
cLiterally “at the same”