²⁵ I don’t have a command from the Lord about people who have never been married,^[a] but I’ll give you my opinion as someone you can trust because of the Lord’s mercy. ²⁶ So I think this advice is good because of the present crisis: Stay as you are. ²⁷ If you are married, don’t get a divorce. If you are divorced, don’t try to find a spouse. ²⁸ But if you do marry, you haven’t sinned; and if someone who hasn’t been married gets married, they haven’t sinned. But married people will have a hard time, and I’m trying to spare you that. ²⁹ This is what I’m saying, brothers and sisters: The time has drawn short. From now on, those who have wives should be like people who don’t have them. ³⁰ Those who are sad should be like people who aren’t crying. Those who are happy should be like people who aren’t happy. Those who buy something should be like people who don’t have possessions. ³¹ Those who use the world should be like people who aren’t preoccupied with it, because this world in its present form is passing away.