1 Corinthians 7

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

1Now I will answer the questions you wrote to me. It is good for a man not to share a bed with a woman.

2Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

2But many people sin with their bodies. So each man should have his own wife. Each woman should have her own husband.

3Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

3A husband should give his wife what she needs as his wife. A wife should do the same for her husband.

4The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

4A wife's body is not hers alone. It belongs to her husband too. A husband's body is not his alone. It belongs to his wife too.

5Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

5Do not keep yourselves away from each other. You may both agree to stop for a short time to pray. Then come together again. If you do not, Satan, God's enemy, may tempt you, because waiting is hard.

6But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

6I say this to allow it. I am not commanding it.

7For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

7I wish everyone could be single, as I am. But God gives each person a different gift. One gets one gift, another gets another.

8I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

8Now I speak to people who are not married. I also speak to widows, women whose husbands have died. It is good for them to stay single, as I am.

9But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

9But some cannot hold back their strong feelings. Those people should marry. It is better to marry than to burn with wanting.

10And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

10To married people I give this command. It is not from me but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband.

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

11If she does leave, she must stay unmarried. Or she should make peace with her husband again. And a husband must not send his wife away and end the marriage.

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

12Now I speak to everyone else. This part is from me, not from the Lord. Suppose a believing man has a wife who does not believe. If she is glad to stay with him, he must not send her away.

13And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

13Suppose a woman has a husband who does not believe. If he is glad to stay with her, she must not leave him.

14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

14The husband who does not believe is set apart by his believing wife. The wife who does not believe is set apart by her believing husband. If this were not so, your children would not be clean. But they are holy.

15But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

15But if the one who does not believe leaves, let that person go. The believing husband or wife is not tied down then. God has called us to live in peace.

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

16Wife, you do not know if you will save your husband. Husband, you do not know if you will save your wife.

17But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

17Each person should live the life the Lord gave him. Live where God called you to be. I teach this in every church.

18Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

18Was a man already circumcised when God called him? He should not try to undo it. Was he not circumcised? He should not be circumcised now.

NoteTo be circumcised was to have a small cut made on a boy's body. It was a mark showing he belonged to God's people, the Jews.

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

19Being circumcised means nothing. Not being circumcised means nothing. What counts is obeying God's commands.

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

20Each person should stay just as he was when God called him.

21Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.

21Were you a slave when God called you? Do not let it worry you. But if you can become free, do it.

22For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.

22A slave the Lord called is now a free person to the Lord. A free man God called is now Christ's servant.

23Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

23God bought you, and He paid a price for you. So do not become slaves of people.

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

24Brothers and sisters, stay with God right where you were when He called you.

25Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

25Now about people who have never married. The Lord gave me no command about them. But I will tell you what I think. The Lord was kind to me, so you can trust me.

26I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.

26Times are hard right now. So I think it is good to stay just as you are.

Note"The present distress" means the hard time the Christians were living through right then.

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

27Are you married to a wife? Do not try to get free. Are you not married? Do not go looking for a wife.

28But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

28But if you do marry, you have not sinned. If a young woman marries, she has not sinned. Married people will have hard times in this life. I want to spare you that.

29But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

29Brothers and sisters, I mean this. There is not much time left. From now on, men with wives should live as if they had none.

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

30Those who cry should live as if they were not crying. Those who are glad, as if they were not glad. Those who buy things, as if they owned nothing.

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

31Those who use the things of this world should not lean on them. This world, the way it is now, is passing away.

32But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

32I do not want you to be full of worry. A man who is not married cares about the Lord's work. He wants to please the Lord.

33But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

33But a married man cares about things here in the world. He wants to please his wife.

34There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

34A wife and a single woman are not the same. A woman who is not married cares about the Lord's work. She wants to belong to God in body and in spirit. A married woman cares about things here. She wants to please her husband.

35And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

35I say this to help you. I am not trying to trap you. I want you to live in a good and fitting way. I want you to give the Lord your full attention.

36But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.

36Suppose a man thinks he is not doing right by the woman he is promised to. She is past her young years, and marrying is needed. Then let him do what he wants. He is not sinning. They should marry.

NoteThe King James Bible says "his virgin." It means the woman a man has promised to marry.

37Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.

37Another man may be sure in his heart. Nothing is forcing him. He has control over what he wants. He has decided not to marry her. That man does well.

38So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

38So the man who marries her does well. The man who does not marry her does even better.

39The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

39A wife is tied to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wants. But that man must belong to the Lord.

40But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

40I think she is happier if she stays as she is. And I think I too have the Spirit of God.