⁹ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?^(A) Do not be deceived:^(B) Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers^(C) nor men who have sex with men^{[a](D) 10} nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers^(E) will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And that is what some of you were.^(F) But you were washed,^(G) you were sanctified,^(H) you were justified^(I) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

¹² “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.^(J) “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³ You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”^(K) The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord,^(L) and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ By his power God raised the Lord from the dead,^(M) and he will raise us also.^{(N) 15} Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?^(O) Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”^{[b](P) 17} But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.^[c](Q)

¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality.^(R) All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.^{(S) 19} Do you not know that your bodies are temples^(T) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;^{(U) 20} you were bought at a price.^(V) Therefore honor God with your bodies.^(W)

Concerning Married Life

7 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”^{(X) 2} But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. ³ The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife,^(Y) and likewise the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. ⁵ Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time,^(Z) so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan^(AA) will not tempt you^(AB) because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ I say this as a concession, not as a command.^{(AC) 7} I wish that all of you were as I am.^(AD) But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.^(AE)

⁸ Now to the unmarried^[d] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.^{(AF) 9} But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry,^(AG) for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰ To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.^{(AH) 11} But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband.^(AI) And a husband must not divorce his wife.

¹² To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord):^(AJ) 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.^(AK)

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.^{(AL) 16} How do you know, wife, whether you will save^(AM) your husband?^(AN) Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Concerning Change of Status

¹⁷ Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.^(AO) This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.^{(AP) 18} Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised.^{(AQ) 19} Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.^(AR) Keeping God’s commands is what counts.