I Corinthians 7

¹Nowe concerning the thinges whereof ye wrote vnto mee, It were good for a man not to touche a woman.

²Neuertheles, to auoide fornication, let euery man haue his wife, and let euery woman haue her owne husband.

³Let the husband giue vnto the wife due beneuolence, and likewise also the wife vnto the husband.

⁴The 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.

⁵Defraude 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.

⁶But I speake this by permission, not by commandement.

⁷For 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.

⁸Therefore I say vnto the vnmaried, and vnto the widowes, It is good for them if they abide euen as I doe.

⁹But if they cannot abstaine, let them marrie: for it is better to marrie then to burne.

¹⁰And vnto ye maried I comand, not I, but ye Lord, Let not ye wife depart from her husband.

¹¹But and if shee depart, let her remaine vnmaried, or be reconciled vnto her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife.

¹²But 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.

¹³And the woman which hath an husband that beleeueth not, if he be content to dwell with her, let her not forsake him.

¹⁴For 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.

¹⁵But 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.

¹⁶For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt saue thine husband? Or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt saue thy wife?

¹⁷But 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.

¹⁸Is any man called being circumcised? let him not gather his vncircumcision: is any called vncircumcised? let him not be circumcised.

¹⁹Circumcision is nothing, and vncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandements of God.

²⁰Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called.

²¹Art thou called being a seruant? care not for it: but if yet thou maiest be free, vse it rather.

²²For 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.

²³Yee are bought with a price: be not the seruants of men.

²⁴Brethren, let euery man, wherein hee was called, therein abide with God.

²⁵Nowe 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.

²⁶I suppose then this to bee good for the present necessitie: I meane that it is good for a man so to be.

²⁷Art thou bounde vnto a wife? seeke not to be loosed: art thou loosed from a wife? seeke not a wife.

²⁸But 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.

²⁹And this I say, brethren, because the time is short, hereafter that both they which haue wiues, be as though they had none:

³⁰And 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:

³¹And they that vse this worlde, as though they vsed it not: for the fashion of this worlde goeth away.

³²And I would haue you without care. The vnmaried careth for the things of the Lord, howe he may please the Lord.

³³But hee that is maried, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

³⁴There 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.

³⁵And 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.

³⁶But 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.

³⁷Neuerthelesse, 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.

³⁸So then hee that giueth her to mariage, doeth well, but he that giueth her not to mariage, doeth better.

³⁹The 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.

⁴⁰But shee is more blessed, if she so abide, in my iudgement: and I thinke that I haue also the Spirite of God.

I Corinthians 7

¹Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

²Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

³Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

⁴The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

⁵Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

⁶But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

⁷For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

⁸I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

⁹But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

¹⁰And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

¹¹But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

¹²But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

¹³And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

¹⁵But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

¹⁶For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

¹⁷But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

¹⁸Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

¹⁹Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

²⁰Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

²¹Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.

²²For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.

²³Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

²⁴Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

²⁵Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

²⁶I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.

²⁷Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

²⁸But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

²⁹But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

³⁰And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;

³¹And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

³²But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

³³But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

³⁴There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

³⁵And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

³⁶But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.

³⁷Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.

³⁸So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

³⁹The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

⁴⁰But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.