¹Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman;

²however, because of the sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

³The husband should fulfill the good-will debt to the wife, and likewise also the wife to the husband.

⁴But the wife does not have authority over her own body; the husband does. Now likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

⁵Do not deprive one another, if surely even when by mutual agreement for an appointed-time, that you may be devoted to fastings and to prayer, and again may be together the same, so that the adversary may not tempt you through the lack of your self-control.

⁶Now this I say by way of concession, not by way of command.

⁷Now I wish all men to be even like myself; but each has his own gift from God, one indeed this, however one that.

⁸Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they shall remain as I myself also.

⁹However, if they have not self-control, they should marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰Now to those having married I give this charge — not I myself but the Lord — a wife is not to be separated from a husband;

¹¹however, if indeed she shall be separated, she should remain unmarried or be reconciled to the husband; and a husband is not to send away a wife.

¹²Now to the rest I myself say — not the Lord: If any brother has an untrusting wife and she consents to dwell with him, he should not divorce her;

¹³and a woman, if any has an untrusting husband and he consents to dwell with her, she should not divorce the husband.

¹⁴For the untrusting husband has been sanctified in the wife, and the untrusting wife has been sanctified in the brother; else then your children are unclean, however now they are holy.

¹⁵However, if the unbeliever separates himself, he should separate himself; the brother or the sister has not been under bondage in such cases; however, God has called you into wholeness.

¹⁶For how know you, wife, if you will rescue the husband? Or how know you, husband, if you will rescue the wife?

¹⁷Only, except, to each as the Lord has assigned, to each as God has called, so he should walk; and thus I prescribe in all the assemblies.

¹⁸Was anyone called circumcised? He should not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He should not be circumcised.

¹⁹But circumcision is no thing and uncircumcision is no thing — keeping the commandments of God.

²⁰Each in the calling in which he has been called, in this he should abide.

²¹Were you called being a slave? You should not let it concern you; but if even you are able to become free, rather take advantage.

²²For the one having been called in the Lord, being a slave, is a freedman of the Lord; likewise also the one having been called free is a slave of the Anointed One.

²³With a price you were bought; do not become slaves of men.

²⁴Each wherein he was called, brothers, in that he should abide with God.

²⁵Now concerning the virgins I have not a commandment of the Lord, however I give judgment as having received mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.

²⁶Therefore I think this to be good because of the present necessity, that it is good for a man to remain in the same manner.

²⁷Have you been bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Have you been loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

²⁸However, if also you shall marry, you did not sin; and if the virgin shall marry, she did not sin; however the such will have tribulation in the flesh; now I myself am sparing you.

²⁹Now this I say, brothers: the season is shortened; from now on it is that both those who have wives may be as none having,

³⁰and those weeping as not weeping, and those rejoicing as not rejoicing, and those buying as not possessing,

³¹and those who use this world as not using it as their own; for the present form of this world is passing away.

³²Now I desire you to be without concern. The unmarried man cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

³³however the one when he had been married cares for the things of the world, how he may please the wife,

³⁴and he has been divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in the spirit; however the one when she had been married cares for the things of the world, how she may please the husband.

³⁵Now this I say for your own benefit, but not that I may place a restraint upon you, for what is seemly and devoted to the Lord without distraction.

³⁶However, if anyone supposes to be behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she shall be beyond youth, and so it ought to be, let him do what he wills; he does not sin, they should marry.

³⁷However, he who has stood firm in his heart, not having necessity, however having authority over his own will, and has judged this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin — well he will do.

³⁸So then also the one now giving his own virgin in marriage does well, and the one not giving in marriage will do better.

³⁹A wife has been bound to the law for as long a time as her husband may live; however if and her husband shall have died, she is free to be married to whom she wills, only in the Lord.

⁴⁰However she is more blessed if she shall remain in the same manner, according to my judgment; now I think myself also to have the Spirit of God.