1 Corinthians 7
Christian Standard Bible
Principles of Marriage
7 Now in response to the matters you wrote[a] about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”[b] 2 But because sexual immorality is so common,[c](A) each man should have sexual relations with his own wife,(B) and each woman should have sexual relations with her own husband. 3 A husband should fulfill his marital duty(C) to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. 4 A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. 5 Do not deprive(D) one another—except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to[d] prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all people were as I am. But each has his own gift(E) from God, one person has this gift, another has that.
A Word to the Unmarried
8 I say to the unmarried[e] and to widows:(F) It is good for them if they remain as I am. 9 But if they do not have self-control,(G) they should marry, since it is better to marry(H) than to burn with desire.
About Married People
10 To the married I give this command(I)—not I, but the Lord—a wife is not to leave[f] her husband. 11 But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband—and a husband is not to divorce his wife.(J) 12 But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother(K) has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy(L) by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband.[g] Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you[h] to live in peace. 16 Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.[i]
Various Situations of Life
17 Let each one live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called(M) him.[j] This is what I command in all the churches. 18 Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. 19 Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter. Keeping God’s commands is what matters. 20 Let each of you remain in the situation[k] in which he was called. 21 Were you called while a slave? Don’t let it concern you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.[l] 22 For he who is called by the Lord as a slave(N) is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought(O) at a price; do not become slaves of people. 24 Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.
About the Unmarried and Widows
25 Now about virgins:[m] I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy(P) is faithful.(Q) 26 Because of the present distress, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 However, if you do get married,(R) you have not sinned, and if a virgin[n] marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life,[o] and I am trying to spare you.
29 This is what I mean, brothers and sisters: The time is limited,(S) so from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none, 30 those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice(T) as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they didn’t own anything, 31 and those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it. For this world in its current form is passing away.(U)
32 I want you to be without concerns. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord—how he may please(V) the Lord. 33 But the married man is concerned about the things of the world—how he may please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord,(W) so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but to promote what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.
36 If any man thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, if she is getting beyond the usual age for marriage, and he feels he should marry—he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; they can get married. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will(X)) and has decided in his heart to keep her as his fiancée, will do well. 38 So, then, he who marries his fiancée does well, but he who does not marry will do better.[p]
39 A wife is bound[q] as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants—only in the Lord. 40 But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
Footnotes
- 7:1 Other mss add to me
- 7:1 Or “It is good for a man not to use a woman for sex”; lit “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”
- 7:2 Lit because of immoralities
- 7:5 Other mss add fasting and to
- 7:8 Or widowers
- 7:10 Or separate from, or divorce
- 7:14 Lit the brother
- 7:15 Other mss read us
- 7:16 Or Wife, how do you know that you will save your husband? Husband, how do you know that you will save your wife?
- 7:17 Lit called each
- 7:20 Lit in the calling
- 7:21 Or But even though you can become free, make the most of your position as a slave
- 7:25 Or betrothed, or those not yet married
- 7:28 Or betrothed woman
- 7:28 Lit in the flesh
- 7:36–38 Or 36 If any man thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin daughter, if she is getting beyond the usual age for marriage, and he feels she should marry—he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; she can get married. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will) and has decided in his heart to keep his own virgin daughter will do well. 38 So then he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, but he who does not give his own virgin daughter in marriage will do better.
- 7:39 Other mss add by law
1 Corinthians 7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Directions concerning Marriage
7 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” 2 But because of cases of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife what is due her and likewise the wife to her husband.(A) 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except perhaps by agreement for a set time, to devote yourselves to prayer,[a] and then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.(B) 6 This I say by way of concession, not of command.(C) 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind.(D)
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain unmarried as I am.(E) 9 But if they are not practicing self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.(F)
10 To the married I give this command—not I but the Lord—that the wife should not separate from her husband(G) 11 (but if she does separate, let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband) and that the husband should not divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I say—I and not the Lord—that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.(H) 13 And if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce the husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother.[b] Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.(I) 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. It is to peace that God has called us.[c](J) 16 Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.(K)
The Life that the Lord Has Assigned
17 However that may be, let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God called you. This is my rule in all the churches.(L) 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision.(M) 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but obeying the commandments of God is everything.(N) 20 Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called.(O)
21 Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make the most of it.[d] 22 For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave belonging to Christ.(P) 23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of humans.(Q) 24 In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God.
The Unmarried and the Widows
25 Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.(R) 26 I think that, in view of the impending[e] crisis,[f] it is good for you to remain as you are.(S) 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will experience distress in the flesh, and I would spare you that. 29 I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none,(T) 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.(U)
32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord,(V) 33 but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin are anxious about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit, but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband.(W) 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.
36 If anyone thinks that he is behaving indecently toward his fiancée,[g] if his passions are strong and so it has to be, let him marry as he wishes; it is no sin. Let them marry. 37 But if someone stands firm in his resolve, being under no necessity but having his own desire under control, and has determined in his own mind to keep her as his fiancée,[h] he will do well. 38 So then, he who marries his fiancée[i] does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do better.
39 A wife is bound as long as her husband lives. But if the husband dies,[j] she is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord.(X) 40 But in my opinion she is more blessed if she remains as she is. And I think that I, too, have the Spirit of God.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.