1 N ow as to the matters of which you wrote me. It is well for a man not to touch a woman but to remain unmarried.

Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2 B ut because of the temptation to impurity and to avoid immorality, let each have his own wife and let each have her own husband.

But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

3 T he husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights (goodwill, kindness, and what is due her as his wife), and likewise the wife to her husband.

Let the husband render to his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

4 F or the wife does not have authority and control over her own body, but the husband; likewise also the husband does not have authority and control over his body, but the wife.

The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife.

5 D o not refuse and deprive and defraud each other, except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves unhindered to prayer. But afterwards resume marital relations, lest Satan tempt you through your lack of restraint of sexual desire.

Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6 B ut I am saying this more as a matter of permission and concession, not as a command or regulation.

But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.

7 I wish that all men were like I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another.

Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.

8 B ut to the unmarried people and to the widows, I declare that it is well (good, advantageous, expedient, and wholesome) for them to remain even as I do.

But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am.

9 B ut if they have not self-control (restraint of their passions), they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame.

But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn.

10 B ut to the married people I give charge—not I but the Lord—that the wife is not to separate from her husband.

But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband

11 B ut if she does, let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband. And the husband that he should not put away or divorce his wife.

(but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.

12 T o the rest I declare—I, not the Lord —that if any brother has a wife who does not believe and she consents to live with him, he should not leave or divorce her.

But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her.

13 A nd if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she should not leave or divorce him.

The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband.

14 F or the unbelieving husband is set apart (separated, withdrawn from heathen contamination, and affiliated with the Christian people) by union with his consecrated (set-apart) wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart and separated through union with her consecrated husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean (unblessed heathen, outside the Christian covenant), but as it is they are prepared for God.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

15 B ut if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him do so; in such brother or sister is not morally bound. But God has called us to peace.

Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.

16 F or, wife, how can you be sure of converting and saving your husband? Husband, how can you be sure of converting and saving your wife?

For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

17 O nly, let each one lead the life which the Lord has allotted and imparted to him and to which God has invited and summoned him. This is my order in all the churches.

Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies.

18 W as anyone at the time of his summons already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the evidence of circumcision. Was anyone at the time called him uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.

Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.

19 F or circumcision is nothing and counts for nothing, neither does uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

20 E veryone should remain after God calls him in the station or condition of life in which the summons found him.

Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.

21 W ere you a slave when you were called? Do not let that trouble you. But if you are able to gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.

Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.

22 F or he who as a slave was summoned in the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, just so he who was free when he was called is a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).

For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s bondservant.

23 Y ou were bought with a price; then do not yield yourselves up to become slaves to men.

You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.

24 S o, brethren, in whatever station or state or condition of life each one was when he was called, there let him continue with and close to God.

Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.

25 N ow concerning the virgins (the marriageable maidens) I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion and advice as one who by the Lord’s mercy is rendered trustworthy and faithful.

Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.

26 I think then, because of the impending distress, it is well (expedient, profitable, and wholesome) for a person to remain as he or she is.

I think that it is good therefore, because of the distress that is on us, that it is good for a man to be as he is.

27 A re you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife.

28 B ut if you do marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will have physical and earthly troubles, and I would like to spare you that.

But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to spare you.

29 I mean, brethren, the appointed time has been winding down and it has grown very short. From now on, let even those who have wives be as if they had none,

But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;

30 A nd those who weep and mourn as though they were not weeping and mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not possess anything,

and those who weep, as though they didn’t weep; and those who rejoice, as though they didn’t rejoice; and those who buy, as though they didn’t possess;

31 A nd those who deal with this world '> overusing the enjoyments of this life] as though they were not absorbed by it and as if they had no dealings with it. For the outward form of this world (the present world order) is passing away.

and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.

32 M y desire is to have you free from all anxiety and distressing care. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord;

But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

33 B ut the married man is anxious about worldly matters—how he may please his wife—

but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

34 A nd he is drawn in diverging directions. And the unmarried woman or girl is concerned and anxious about the matters of the Lord, how to be wholly separated and set apart in body and spirit; but the married woman has her cares in earthly affairs—how she may please her husband.

There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

35 N ow I say this for your own welfare and profit, not to put restraint upon you, but to promote what is seemly and in good order and to secure your undistracted and undivided devotion to the Lord.

This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction.

36 B ut if any man thinks that he is not acting properly toward and in regard to his virgin, in case she is passing the bloom of her youth and if there is need for it, let him do what to him seems right; he does not sin; let them marry.

But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He doesn’t sin. Let them marry.

37 B ut whoever is firmly established in his heart, not being forced by necessity but having control over his own will and desire, and has resolved this in his heart to keep his own virginity, he is doing well.

But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own heart, to keep his own virgin, does well.

38 S o also then, he who gives his virgin (his daughter) in marriage does well, and he who does not give in marriage does better.

So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn’t give her in marriage does better.

39 A wife is bound to her husband by law as long as he lives. If the husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord.

A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, only in the Lord.

40 B ut in my opinion is happier (more blessed and to be envied) if she does not remarry. And also I think I have the Spirit of God.

But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God’s Spirit.