1 Nowe concerning the thinges whereof ye wrote vnto mee, It were good for a man not to touche a woman. 2 Neuertheles, to auoide fornication, let euery man haue his wife, and let euery woman haue her owne husband. 3 Let the husband giue vnto the wife due beneuolence, and likewise also the wife vnto the husband. 4 The wife hath not the power of her owne bodie, but ye husband: and likewise also the husband hath not ye power of his own body, but the wife. 5 Defraude not one another, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may giue your selues to fasting and praier, and againe come together that Satan tempt you not for your incontinecie. 6 But I speake this by permission, not by commandement. 7 For I woulde that all men were euen as I my selfe am: but euery man hath his proper gift of God, one after this maner, and another after that. 8 Therefore I say vnto the vnmaried, and vnto the widowes, It is good for them if they abide euen as I doe. 9 But if they cannot abstaine, let them marrie: for it is better to marrie then to burne. 10 And vnto ye maried I comand, not I, but ye Lord, Let not ye wife depart from her husband. 11 But and if shee depart, let her remaine vnmaried, or be reconciled vnto her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife. 12 But to ye remnant I speake, and not ye Lord, If any brother haue a wife, ye beleeueth not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not forsake her. 13 And the woman which hath an husband that beleeueth not, if he be content to dwell with her, let her not forsake him. 14 For the vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified to the wife, and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified to the husband, els were your children vncleane: but nowe are they holie. 15 But if the vnbeleeuing depart, let him depart: a brother or a sister is not in subiection in such things: but God hath called vs in peace. 16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt saue thine husband? Or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt saue thy wife? 17 But as God hath distributed to euery man, as the Lord hath called euery one, so let him walke: and so ordaine I, in all Churches. 18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not gather his vncircumcision: is any called vncircumcised? let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and vncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandements of God. 20 Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called. 21 Art thou called being a seruant? care not for it: but if yet thou maiest be free, vse it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being. a seruant, is the Lords freeman: likewise also he that is called being free, is Christes seruant. 23 Yee are bought with a price: be not the seruants of men. 24 Brethren, let euery man, wherein hee was called, therein abide with God. 25 Nowe concerning virgines, I haue no commandement of the Lord: but I giue mine aduise, as one that hath obtained mercie of the Lord to be faithfull. 26 I suppose then this to bee good for the present necessitie: I meane that it is good for a man so to be. 27 Art thou bounde vnto a wife? seeke not to be loosed: art thou loosed from a wife? seeke not a wife. 28 But if thou takest a wife, thou sinnest not: and if a virgine marrie, shee sinneth not: neuerthelesse, such shall haue trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. 29 And this I say, brethren, because the time is short, hereafter that both they which haue wiues, be as though they had none: 30 And they that weepe, as though they wept not: and they that reioyce, as though they reioyced not: and they that bye, as though they possessed not: 31 And they that vse this worlde, as though they vsed it not: for the fashion of this worlde goeth away. 32 And I would haue you without care. The vnmaried careth for the things of the Lord, howe he may please the Lord. 33 But hee that is maried, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is difference also betweene a virgine and a wife: the vnmaried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in body and in spirite: but shee that is maried, careth for the things of the worlde, howe shee may please her husband. 35 And this I speake for your owne commoditie, not to tangle you in a snare, but that yee follow that, which is honest, and that yee may cleaue fast vnto the Lord without separation. 36 But if any man thinke that it is vncomely for his virgine, if shee passe the flower of her age, and neede so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them be maried. 37 Neuerthelesse, hee that standeth firme in his heart, that hee hath no neede, but hath power ouer his owne will, and hath so decreed in his heart, that hee will keepe his virgine, hee doeth well. 38 So then hee that giueth her to mariage, doeth well, but he that giueth her not to mariage, doeth better. 39 The wife is bounde by the Lawe, as long as her husband liueth: but if her husband bee dead, shee is at libertie to marie with whome she will, onely in the Lord. 40 But shee is more blessed, if she so abide, in my iudgement: and I thinke that I haue also the Spirite of God.
Questions about Marriage
1 Now, to deal with the matters you wrote about.
A man does well not to marry. 2 But because there is so much immorality, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband. 3 A man should fulfill his duty as a husband, and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife, and each should satisfy the other's needs. 4 A wife is not the master of her own body, but her husband is; in the same way a husband is not the master of his own body, but his wife is. 5 Do not deny yourselves to each other, unless you first agree to do so for a while in order to spend your time in prayer; but then resume normal marital relations. In this way you will be kept from giving in to Satan's temptation because of your lack of self-control.
6 I tell you this not as an order, but simply as a permission. 7 Actually I would prefer that all of you were as I am; but each one has a special gift from God, one person this gift, another one that gift.
8 Now, to the unmarried and to the widows I say that it would be better for you to continue to live alone as I do. 9 But if you cannot restrain your desires, go ahead and marry—it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 For married people I have a command which is not my own but the Lord's: a wife must not leave her husband; 11 but if she does, she must remain single or else be reconciled to her husband; and a husband must not divorce his wife.
12 To the others I say (I, myself, not the Lord): if a Christian man has a wife who is an unbeliever and she agrees to go on living with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a Christian woman is married to a man who is an unbeliever and he agrees to go on living with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made acceptable to God by being united to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made acceptable to God by being united to her Christian husband. If this were not so, their children would be like pagan children; but as it is, they are acceptable to God. 15 However, if the one who is not a believer wishes to leave the Christian partner, let it be so. In such cases the Christian partner, whether husband or wife, is free to act. God has called you to live in peace. 16 How can you be sure, Christian wife, that you will not save your husband? Or how can you be sure, Christian husband, that you will not save your wife?
Live As God Called You
17 Each of you should go on living according to the Lord's gift to you, and as you were when God called you. This is the rule I teach in all the churches. 18 If a circumcised man has accepted God's call, he should not try to remove the marks of circumcision; if an uncircumcised man has accepted God's call, he should not get circumcised. 19 For whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing; what matters is to obey God's commandments. 20 Each of you should remain as you were when you accepted God's call. 21 Were you a slave when God called you? Well, never mind; but if you have a chance to become free, use it. 22 For a slave who has been called by the Lord is the Lord's free person; in the same way a free person who has been called by Christ is his slave. 23 God bought you for a price; so do not become slaves of people. 24 My friends, each of you should remain in fellowship with God in the same condition that you were when you were called.
Questions about the Unmarried and the Widows
25 Now, concerning what you wrote about unmarried people: I do not have a command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is worthy of trust.
26 Considering the present distress, I think it is better for a man to stay as he is. 27 Do you have a wife? Then don't try to get rid of her. Are you unmarried? Then don't look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you haven't committed a sin; and if an unmarried woman marries, she hasn't committed a sin. But I would rather spare you the everyday troubles that married people will have.
29 What I mean, my friends, is this: there is not much time left, and from now on married people should live as though they were not married; 30 those who weep, as though they were not sad; those who laugh, as though they were not happy; those who buy, as though they did not own what they bought; 31 those who deal in material goods, as though they were not fully occupied with them. For this world, as it is now, will not last much longer.
32 I would like you to be free from worry. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's work, because he is trying to please the Lord. 33 But a married man concerns himself with worldly matters, because he wants to please his wife; 34 and so he is pulled in two directions. An unmarried woman or a virgin concerns herself with the Lord's work, because she wants to be dedicated both in body and spirit; but a married woman concerns herself with worldly matters, because she wants to please her husband.
35 I am saying this because I want to help you. I am not trying to put restrictions on you. Instead, I want you to do what is right and proper, and to give yourselves completely to the Lord's service without any reservation.
36 In the case of an engaged couple who have decided not to marry: if the man feels that he is not acting properly toward the young woman and if his passions are too strong and he feels that they ought to marry, then they should get married, as he wants to. There is no sin in this. 37 But if a man, without being forced to do so, has firmly made up his mind not to marry, and if he has his will under complete control and has already decided in his own mind what to do—then he does well not to marry the young woman. 38 So the man who marries does well, but the one who doesn't marry does even better.
39 A married woman is not free as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, then she is free to be married to any man she wishes, but only if he is a Christian. 40 She will be happier, however, if she stays as she is. That is my opinion, and I think that I too have God's Spirit.