1 Now concerning the things of which ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4 The wife does not have authority of her own body, but the husband; and likewise also the husband does not have authority of his own body, but the wife. 5 Do not defraud one another, except it be with mutual consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer and come together again, that Satan not tempt you for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by permission, and not by commandment. 7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one after this manner and another after that.
8 I say, therefore, to the unmarried men and widowers, It is good for them if they abide even as I. 9 But if they do not have the gift of continence, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn.
10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife separate from her husband; 11 and if she separates, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife.
12 But to the rest I speak, not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that does not believe, and she consents to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13 And the woman who has a husband that does not believe and if he consents to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving spouse separates, let them separate. The brother or the sister is not under slavery in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let them walk. And so I ordain in all the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}. 18 Is anyone called being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Is anyone called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20 Let each abide in the same calling in which he was called. 21 Art thou called being a slave? care not for it; but if thou may be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a slave, is the Lord’s freeman; likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s slave. 23 Ye are bought with a price; do not make yourselves the slaves of men. 24 Each one, brothers, in that state in which he was called, let him abide with God.
25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord, yet I give my advice, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. 26 I hold, therefore, this to be good because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to be thus: 27 Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. 28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have affliction in the flesh, but I forbear you. 29 But this I say, brothers, the time is short; for the rest, let those that have wives be as though they had none; 30 and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they possessed not; 31 and those that use this world, as not using it as their own, for the fashion of this world passes away.
32 But I would have you without worry. He that is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but he that is married cares for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is a difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but she that is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 And this I speak for your own profit, not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is honourable and that ye may attend upon the Lord without impediment.
36 But if anyone thinks it uncomely regarding his daughter, if she passes the bloom of life, and need so requires, let him do what he will, he does not sin: let them marry. 37 Nevertheless, he that stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has liberty regarding his own, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his daughter, does well. 38 So then he that gives her in marriage does well, but he that does not give her in marriage does better.
39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free and may be married to whom she will, if it is in the Lord. 40 But she shall be more blessed if she so abides, after my counsel, and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.