1 CorinthiansChapter 7

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¹Now I will answer the things you wrote to me about. It is good not to have sexual relations.a ²But there is so much sexual sin. So each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. ³The husband should give his wife what he owes her as a husband. In the same way, the wife should give her husband what she owes him. ⁴The wife does not rule over her own body. Her husband does. In the same way, the husband does not rule over his own body. His wife does. ⁵Do not keep yourselves from each other. You may do it only if you both agree, and only for a time. Then you can give yourselves to prayer. After that, come together again. Then Satan will not tempt you because you lack self-control. ⁶I say this to allow it, not as a command. ⁷I wish everyone were like me. But each person has his own gift from God. One has this gift, and another has that one. ⁸Now I say this to those who are not married and to widows. It is good for them to stay single, as I am. ⁹But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry. It is better to marry than to burn with desire. ¹⁰To those who are married I give this command. It is not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. ¹¹But if she does leave, she must stay single or else make peace with her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. ¹²To the rest I say this. It is from me, not from the Lord. Suppose a believing man has a wife who does not believe. If she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³And suppose a woman has a husband who does not believe. If he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. ¹⁴For the husband who does not believe is made holy through his believing wife. And the wife who does not believe is made holy through her believing husband. If this were not so, your children would be unclean. But as it is, they are holy. ¹⁵But if the one who does not believe leaves, let it be so. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. ¹⁶Wife, how do you know if you will save your husband? Husband, how do you know if you will save your wife? ¹⁷In any case, each person should live the life the Lord has given him. He should live the way God called him. This is the rule I give in all the churches. ¹⁸Was a man already circumcised when God called him? He should not try to undo it. Was a man not circumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. ¹⁹Being circumcised means nothing. Not being circumcised means nothing. What matters is keeping God's commands. ²⁰Each person should stay in the place he was in when God called him. ²¹Were you a slave when God called you? Don't let it worry you. But if you can become free, take the chance. ²²The one who was a slave when the Lord called him is now the Lord's free person. In the same way, the one who was free when he was called is now Christ's slave. ²³You were bought at a price. Do not become slaves of people. ²⁴Brothers and sisters, each person should stay in the place he was in when God called him. ²⁵Now about people who have never married. I have no command from the Lord about them. But I give my opinion as one who can be trusted, because of the Lord's mercy. ²⁶Because of the hard times we are in now, I think it is good for a person to stay as he is. ²⁷Are you tied to a wife? Do not try to get free. Are you free from a wife? Do not look for one. ²⁸But if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a young woman who has never married gets married, she has not sinned. But those who marry will have troubles in this life. I want to spare you from that. ²⁹Brothers and sisters, what I mean is that the time is short. From now on, those who have wives should live as if they had none. ³⁰Those who cry should live as if they did not cry. Those who are happy should live as if they were not. Those who buy things should live as if they owned nothing. ³¹Those who use the things of this world should live as if they do not depend on them. For this world as it is now is passing away. ³²I want you to be free from worry. A man who is not married cares about the Lord's work. He thinks about how to please the Lord. ³³But a married man cares about the things of this world. He thinks about how to please his wife. ³⁴So his interests are pulled two ways. A woman who is not married, or who has never married, cares about the Lord's work. She wants to be holy in both body and spirit. But a married woman cares about the things of this world. She thinks about how to please her husband. ³⁵I am saying this for your own good. I'm not trying to hold you back. I want you to live in a right way and give yourselves fully to the Lord. ³⁶But suppose a man thinks he is not treating the woman he is engaged to in the right way. Suppose she is getting older and they ought to marry. Then he should do what he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. ³⁷But another man may stand firm in his heart. He may feel no pressure and have control over his own will. If he has decided in his heart not to marry the young woman, he will do well. ³⁸So the man who marries the young woman does well. But the man who does not marry her does even better. ³⁹A wife is joined to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wants. But he must belong to the Lord. ⁴⁰But I think she is happier if she stays single. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.