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

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

³² I want you to be ^(A)free from anxieties. ^(B)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, ³⁴ and 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. ³⁵ I say this for your own benefit, ^(C)not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.