^{1 Ref} And concerning the things of which ye wrote to me: good `it is' for a man not to touch a woman,

^{2 Ref} and because of the whoredom let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her proper husband;

^{3 Ref} to the wife let the husband the due benevolence render, and in like manner also the wife to the husband;

^{4 Ref} the wife over her own body hath not authority, but the husband; and, in like manner also, the husband over his own body hath not authority, but the wife.

^{5 Ref} Defraud not one another, except by consent for a time, that ye may be free for fasting and prayer, and again may come together, that the Adversary may not tempt you because of your incontinence;

^{6 Ref} and this I say by way of concurrence -- not of command,

^{7 Ref} for I wish all men to be even as I myself `am'; but each his own gift hath of God, one indeed thus, and one thus.

^{8 Ref} And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they may remain even as I `am';

^{9 Ref} and if they have not continence -- let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn;

^{10 Ref} and to the married I announce -- not I, but the Lord -- let not a wife separate from a husband:

^{11 Ref} but and if she may separate, let her remain unmarried, or to the husband let her be reconciled, and let not a husband send away a wife.

^{12 Ref} And to the rest I speak -- not the Lord -- if any brother hath a wife unbelieving, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not send her away;

¹³ and a woman who hath a husband unbelieving, and he is pleased to dwell with her, let her not send him away;

^{14 Ref} for the unbelieving husband hath been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife hath been sanctified in the husband; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

^{15 Ref} And, if the unbelieving doth separate himself -- let him separate himself: the brother or the sister is not under servitude in such `cases', and in peace hath God called us;

^{16 Ref} for what, hast thou known, O wife, whether the husband thou shalt save? or what, hast thou known, O husband, whether the wife thou shalt save?

^{17 Ref} if not, as God did distribute to each, as the Lord hath called each -- so let him walk; and thus in all the assemblies do I direct:

^{18 Ref} being circumcised -- was any one called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision was any one called? let him not be circumcised;

^{19 Ref} the circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing -- but a keeping of the commands of God.

^{20 Ref} Each in the calling in which he was called -- in this let him remain;

^{21 Ref} a servant -- wast thou called? be not anxious; but if also thou art able to become free -- use `it' rather;

^{22 Ref} for he who `is' in the Lord -- having been called a servant -- is the Lord's freedman: in like manner also he the freeman, having been called, is servant of Christ:

^{23 Ref} with a price ye were bought, become not servants of men;

^{24 Ref} each, in that in which he was called, brethren, in this let him remain with God.

^{25 Ref} And concerning the virgins, a command of the Lord I have not; and I give judgment as having obtained kindness from the Lord to be faithful:

^{26 Ref} I suppose, therefore, this to be good because of the present necessity, that `it is' good for a man that the matter be thus: --

^{27 Ref} Hast thou been bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; hast thou been loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

^{28 Ref} But and if thou mayest marry, thou didst not sin; and if the virgin may marry, she did not sin; and such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I spare you.

^{29 Ref} And this I say, brethren, the time henceforth is having been shortened -- that both those having wives may be as not having;

^{30 Ref} and those weeping, as not weeping; and those rejoicing, as not rejoicing; and those buying, as not possessing;

^{31 Ref} and those using this world, as not using `it' up; for passing away is the fashion of this world.

^{32 Ref} And I wish you to be without anxiety; the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;

^{33 Ref} and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how he shall please the wife.

^{34 Ref} The wife and the virgin have been distinguished: the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how she shall please the husband.

^{35 Ref} And this for your own profit I say: not that I may cast a noose upon you, but for the seemliness and devotedness to the Lord, undistractedly,

³⁶ and if any one doth think `it' to be unseemly to his virgin, if she may be beyond the bloom of age, and it ought so to be, what he willeth let him do; he doth not sin -- let him marry.

³⁷ And he who hath stood stedfast in the heart -- not having necessity -- and hath authority over his own will, and this he hath determined in his heart -- to keep his own virgin -- doth well;

^{38 Ref} so that both he who is giving in marriage doth well, and he who is not giving in marriage doth better.

^{39 Ref} A wife hath been bound by law as long time as her husband may live, and if her husband may sleep, she is free to be married to whom she will -- only in the Lord;

^{40 Ref} and she is happier if she may so remain -- according to my judgment; and I think I also have the Spirit of God.

^{1 Ref} Now, as to the things in your letter to me: It is good for a man to have nothing to do with a woman.

^{2 Ref} But because of the desires of the flesh, let every man have his wife, and every woman her husband.

^{3 Ref} Let the husband give to the wife what is right; and let the wife do the same to the husband.

^{4 Ref} The wife has not power over her body, but the husband; and in the same way the husband has not power over his body, but the wife.

^{5 Ref} Do not keep back from one another what is right, but only for a short time, and by agreement, so that you may give yourselves to prayer, and come together again; so that Satan may not get the better of you through your loss of self-control.

^{6 Ref} But this I say as my opinion, and not as an order of the Lord.

^{7 Ref} It is my desire that all men might be even as I am. But every man has the power of his special way of life given him by God, one in this way and one in that.

^{8 Ref} But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, It is good for them to be even as I am.

^{9 Ref} But if they have not self-control let them get married; for married life is better than the burning of desire.

^{10 Ref} But to the married I give orders, though not I but the Lord, that the wife may not go away from her husband

^{11 Ref} (Or if she goes away from him, let her keep unmarried, or be united to her husband again); and that the husband may not go away from his wife.

^{12 Ref} But to the rest I say, and not the Lord; If a brother has a wife who is not a Christian, and it is her desire to go on living with him, let him not go away from her.

¹³ And if a woman has a husband who is not a Christian, and it is his desire to go on living with her, let her not go away from her husband.

^{14 Ref} For the husband who has not faith is made holy through his Christian wife, and the wife who is not a Christian is made holy through the brother: if not, your children would be unholy, but now are they holy.

^{15 Ref} But if the one who is not a Christian has a desire to go away, let it be so: the brother or the sister in such a position is not forced to do one thing or the other: but it is God's pleasure that we may be at peace with one another.

^{16 Ref} For how may you be certain, O wife, that you will not be the cause of salvation to your husband? or you, O husband, that you may not do the same for your wife?

^{17 Ref} Only, as the Lord has given to a man, and as is the purpose of God for him, so let him go on living. And these are my orders for all the churches.

^{18 Ref} If any man who is a Christian has had circumcision, let him keep so; and if any man who is a Christian has not had circumcision, let him make no change.

^{19 Ref} Circumcision is nothing, and its opposite is nothing, but only doing the orders of God is of value.

^{20 Ref} Let every man keep the position in which he has been placed by God.

^{21 Ref} If you were a servant when you became a Christian, let it not be a grief to you; but if you have a chance to become free, make use of it.

^{22 Ref} For he who was a servant when he became a Christian is the Lord's free man; and he who was free when he became a Christian is the Lord's servant.

^{23 Ref} It is the Lord who has made payment for you: be not servants of men.

^{24 Ref} My brothers, let every man keep in that condition which is the purpose of God for him.

^{25 Ref} Now about virgins I have no orders from the Lord: but I give my opinion as one to whom the Lord has given mercy to be true to him.

^{26 Ref} In my opinion then, because of the present trouble, it is good for a man to keep as he is.

^{27 Ref} If you are married to a wife, make no attempt to get free from her: if you are free from a wife, do not take a wife.

^{28 Ref} If you get married it is not a sin; and if an unmarried woman gets married it is not a sin. But those who do so will have trouble in the flesh. But I will not be hard on you.

^{29 Ref} But I say this, my brothers, the time is short; and from now it will be wise for those who have wives to be as if they had them not;

^{30 Ref} And for those who are in sorrow, to give no signs of it; and for those who are glad, to give no signs of joy; and for those who are getting property, to be as if they had nothing;

^{31 Ref} And for those who make use of the world, not to be using it fully; for this world's way of life will quickly come to an end.

^{32 Ref} But it is my desire for you to be free from cares. The unmarried man gives his mind to the things of the Lord, how he may give pleasure to the Lord:

^{33 Ref} But the married man gives his attention to the things of this world, how he may give pleasure to his wife.

^{34 Ref} And the wife is not the same as the virgin. The virgin gives her mind to the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in body and in spirit: but the married woman takes thought for the things of the world, how she may give pleasure to her husband.

^{35 Ref} Now I say this for your profit; not to make things hard for you, but because of what is right, and so that you may be able to give all your attention to the things of the Lord.

³⁶ But if, in any man's opinion, he is not doing what is right for his virgin, if she is past her best years, and there is need for it, let him do what seems right to him; it is no sin; let them be married.

³⁷ But the man who is strong in mind and purpose, who is not forced but has control over his desires, does well if he comes to the decision to keep her a virgin.

^{38 Ref} So then, he who gets married to his virgin does well, and he who keeps her unmarried does better.

^{39 Ref} It is right for a wife to be with her husband as long as he is living; but when her husband is dead, she is free to be married to another; but only to a Christian.

^{40 Ref} But it will be better for her to keep as she is, in my opinion: and it seems to me that I have the Spirit of God.