English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”

1Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations.

2But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

2But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

3The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.

3The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs.

4For 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.

4The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

5Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

5Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.

6I say this as a concession, not as a command.

7I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

7But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.

8To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.

8So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am.

9But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

9But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.

10To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband

10But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband.

11(but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

11But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.

12To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.

12Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her.

13If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.

13And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him.

14For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

14For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.

15But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

15(But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.)

16For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

16Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

17Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

17Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.

18Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision.

18For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now.

19For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.

19For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.

20Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.

20Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you.

21Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)

21Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it.

22For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.

22And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.

23You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.

23God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.

24So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

24Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

25Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.

25Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you.

26I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is.

26Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are.

27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

27If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married.

28But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.

28But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems.

29This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none,

29But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage.

30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods,

30Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions.

31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

31Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.

32I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.

32I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him.

33But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife,

33But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife.

34and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.

34His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband.

35I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

35I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

36If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin.

36But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin.

37But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well.

37But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry.

38So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

38So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.

39A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

39A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord.

40Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

40But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.