1 Corinthians 7:10-33

English Standard Version

¹⁰ To the married ^(A)I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): ^(B)the wife should not separate from her husband ¹¹ (but if she does, ^(C)she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and ^(D)the husband should not divorce his wife.

¹² To the rest I say (I, 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. ¹³ If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. ^(E)Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you^{[a] (F)}to peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, wife, ^(G)whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Live as You Are Called

¹⁷ Only let each person lead the life^{[b] (H)}that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. ^(I)This is my rule in ^(J)all the churches. 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? ^(K)Let him not seek circumcision. ^19 (L)For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but ^(M)keeping the commandments of God. ^20 (N)Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. ²¹ Were you a bondservant^[c] when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) ²² For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is ^(O)a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is ^(P)a bondservant of Christ. ^23 (Q)You were bought with a price; ^(R)do not become bondservants of men. ²⁴ So, brothers,^{[d] (S)}in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

The Unmarried and the Widowed

²⁵ Now concerning^[e] the betrothed,^{[f] (T)}I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as ^(U)one who by the Lord's mercy is ^(V)trustworthy. ²⁶ I think that in view of the present^[g] distress ^(W)it is good for a person to remain as he is. 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 do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman^[h] marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. ²⁹ This is what I mean, brothers: ^(X)the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 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 ^(Y)as though they had no goods, ³¹ and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For ^(Z)the present form of this world is passing away.

³² I want you to be ^(AA)free from anxieties. ^(AB)The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. ³³ But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife,