Principles for Marriage

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: (A)“It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. (B)The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 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. (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.

Now as a concession, (E)not a command, I say this.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 7:6 Or I say this:

Principles of Marriage

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] 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. A husband should fulfill his marital duty(C) to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. 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. 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. I say this as a concession, not as a command.

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Footnotes

  1. 7:1 Other mss add to me
  2. 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.”
  3. 7:2 Lit because of immoralities
  4. 7:5 Other mss add fasting and to