1 Corinthians 7-9

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

7 Now concerning the thing whereof you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

² But for fear of fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

³ Let the husband render the debt to his wife, and the wife also in like manner to the husband.

⁴ The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband. And in like manner the husband also hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

⁵ Defraud not one another, except, perhaps, by consent, for a time, that you may give yourselves to prayer; and return together again, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.

⁶ But I speak this by indulgence, not by commandment.

⁷ For I would that all men were even as myself: but every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that.

⁸ But I say to the unmarried, and to the widows: It is good for them if they so continue, even as I.

⁹ But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burnt.

¹⁰ But to them that are married, not I but the Lord commandeth, that the wife depart not from her husband.

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

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

¹³ And if any woman hath a husband that believeth not, and he consent to dwell with her, let her not put away her husband.

¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife; and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband: otherwise your children should be unclean; but now they are holy.

¹⁵ But if the unbeliever depart, let him depart. For a brother or sister is not under servitude in such cases. But God hath called us in peace.

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

¹⁷ But as the Lord hath distributed to every one, as God hath called every one, so let him walk: and so in all churches I teach.

¹⁸ Is any man called, being circumcised? let him not procure uncircumcision. Is any man called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

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

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

²¹ Wast thou called, being a bondman? care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.

²² For he that is called in the Lord, being a bondman, is the freeman of the Lord. Likewise he that is called, being free, is the bondman of Christ.

²³ You are bought with a price; be not made the bondslaves of men.

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

²⁵ Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give counsel, as having obtained mercy of the Lord, to be faithful.

²⁶ I think therefore that this is good for the present necessity, that it is good for a man so to be.

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

²⁸ But if thou take a wife, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned: nevertheless, such shall have tribulation of the flesh. But I spare you.

²⁹ This therefore I say, brethren; the time is short; it remaineth, that they also who have wives, be as if they had none;

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

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

³² But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God.

³³ But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided.

³⁴ And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

³⁵ And this I speak for your profit: not to cast a snare upon you; but for that which is decent, and which may give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.

³⁶ But if any man think that he seemeth dishonoured, with regard to his virgin, for that she is above the age, and it must so be: let him do what he will; he sinneth not, if she marry.

³⁷ For he that hath determined being steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but having power of his own will; and hath judged this in his heart, to keep his virgin, doth well.

³⁸ Therefore, both he that giveth his virgin in marriage, doth well; and he that giveth her not, doth better.

³⁹ A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband die, she is at liberty: let her marry to whom she will; only in the Lord.

⁴⁰ But more blessed shall she be, if she so remain, according to my counsel; and I think that I also have the spirit of God.

8 Now concerning those things that are sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up; but charity edifieth.

² And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he hath not yet known as he ought to know.

³ But if any man love God, the same is known by him.

⁴ But as for the meats that are sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.

⁵ For although there be that are called gods, either in heaven or on earth (for there be gods many, and lords many);

⁶ Yet to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

⁷ But there is not knowledge in every one. For some until this present, with conscience of the idol: eat as a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

⁸ But meat doth not commend us to God. For neither, if we eat, shall we have the more; nor, if we eat not, shall we have the less.

⁹ But take heed lest perhaps this your liberty become a stumblingblock to the weak.

¹⁰ For if a man see him that hath knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not his conscience, being weak, be emboldened to eat those things which are sacrificed to idols?

¹¹ And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ hath died?

¹² Now when you sin thus against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

¹³ Wherefore, if meat scandalize my brother, I will never eat flesh, lest I should scandalize my brother.

9 Am not I free? Am not I an apostle? Have not I seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?

² And if unto others I be not an apostle, but yet to you I am. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

³ My defence with them that do examine me is this.

⁴ Have not we power to eat and to drink?

⁵ Have we not power to carry about a woman, a sister, as well as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

⁶ Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to do this?

⁷ Who serveth as a soldier at any time, at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feedeth the flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

⁸ Speak I these things according to man? Or doth not the law also say these things?

⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses: Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

¹⁰ Or doth he say this indeed for our sakes? For these things are written for our sakes: that he that plougheth, should plough in hope; and he that thrasheth, in hope to receive fruit.

¹¹ If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things?

¹² If others be partakers of this power over you, why not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power: but we bear all things, lest we should give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

¹³ Know you not, that they who work in the holy place, eat the things that are of the holy place; and they that serve the altar, partake with the altar?

¹⁴ So also the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel.

¹⁵ But I have used none of these things. Neither have I written these things, that they should be so done unto me: for it is good for me to die, rather than that any man should make my glory void.

¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, it is no glory to me, for a necessity lieth upon me: for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.

¹⁷ For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation is committed to me:

¹⁸ What is my reward then? That preaching the gospel, I may deliver the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

¹⁹ For whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more.

²⁰ And I became to the Jews, a Jew, that I might gain the Jews:

²¹ To them that are under the law, as if I were under the law, (whereas myself was not under the law,) that I might gain them that were under the law. To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law, (whereas I was not without the law of God, but was in the law of Christ,) that I might gain them that were without the law.

²² To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all.

²³ And I do all things for the gospel's sake: that I may be made partaker thereof.

²⁴ Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain.

²⁵ And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one.

²⁶ I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air:

²⁷ But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.