1 Corinthians 7:1-9

English Standard Version

Principles for Marriage

7 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: ^(A)“It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” ²But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. ³^(B)The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. ⁴For 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^(C)Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, ^(D)so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

⁶Now as a concession, ^(E)not a command, I say this.^[a] ⁷^(F)I wish that all were ^(G)as I myself am. But ^(H)each has his own gift from God, ^(I)one of one kind and one of another.

⁸To the unmarried and the widows I say that ^(J)it is good for them to remain single, ^(K)as I am. ⁹But if they cannot exercise self-control, ^(L)they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

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Footnotes

1 Corinthians 7:6 Or I say this:

1 Corinthians 7:25-38

English Standard Version

The Unmarried and the Widowed

²⁵Now concerning^[a] the betrothed,^[b] ^(A)I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as ^(B)one who by the Lord's mercy is ^(C)trustworthy. ²⁶I think that in view of the present^[c] distress ^(D)it is good for a person to remain as he is. ²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman^[d] marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. ²⁹This is what I mean, brothers: ^(E)the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, ³⁰and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy ^(F)as though they had no goods, ³¹and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For ^(G)the present form of this world is passing away.

³²I want you to be ^(H)free from anxieties. ^(I)The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. ³³But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, ³⁴and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. ³⁵I say this for your own benefit, ^(J)not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

³⁶If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed,^[e] if his^[f] passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. ³⁷But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. ³⁸So then he who marries his betrothed ^(K)does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

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Footnotes

1 Corinthians 7:25 The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians' letter; see 7:1
1 Corinthians 7:25 Greek virgins
1 Corinthians 7:26 Or impending
1 Corinthians 7:28 Greek virgin; also verse 34
1 Corinthians 7:36 Greek virgin; also verses 37, 38
1 Corinthians 7:36 Or her