12 But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother(A) has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy(B) by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband.[a] Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you[b] to live in peace. 16 Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 7:14 Lit the brother
  2. 7:15 Other mss read us
  3. 7:16 Or Wife, how do you know that you will save your husband? Husband, how do you know that you will save your wife?

12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord):(A) If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.(B)

15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.(C) 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save(D) your husband?(E) Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

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