| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New International Version |
| 1Now in response to the matters you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have relations with a woman." | 1Now for the matters you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." |
| 2But because sexual immorality is so common, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. | 2But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. |
| 3A husband should fulfill his marital responsibility to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. | 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. |
| 4A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. | 4The 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. |
| 5Do not deprive one another sexually--except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. | 5Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. |
| 6I say the following as a concession, not as a command. | 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. |
| 7I wish that all people were just like me. But each has his own gift from God, one person in this way and another in that way. | 7I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. |
| 8I say to the unmarried and to widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am. | 8Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. |
| 9But if they do not have self-control, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with desire. | 9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. |
| 10I command the married--not I, but the Lord--a wife is not to leave her husband. | 10To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. |
| 11But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband--and a husband is not to leave his wife. | 11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. |
| 12But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not leave her. | 12To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. |
| 13Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not leave her husband. | 13And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. |
| 14For the unbelieving husband is set apart for God by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart for God by the husband. Otherwise your children would be corrupt, but now they are set apart for God. | 14For 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. |
| 15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. | 15But 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. |
| 16For you, wife, how do you know whether you will save your husband? Or you, husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife? | 16How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? |
| 17However, each one must live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him. This is what I command in all the churches. | 17Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. |
| 18Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. | 18Was 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. |
| 19Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter, but keeping God's commands does. | 19Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. |
| 20Each person should remain in the life situation in which he was called. | 20Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. |
| 21Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity. | 21Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so. |
| 22For he who is called by the Lord as a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ's slave. | 22For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord's freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ's slave. |
| 23You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. | 23You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. |
| 24Brothers, each person should remain with God in whatever situation he was called. | 24Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. |
| 25About virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. | 25Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. |
| 26Therefore I consider this to be good because of the present distress: It is fine for a man to remain as he is. | 26Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. |
| 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. | 27Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. |
| 28However, if you do get married, you have not sinned, and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. | 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. |
| 29And I say this, brothers: The time is limited, so from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none, | 29What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; |
| 30those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, | 30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; |
| 31and those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it. For this world in its current form is passing away. | 31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. |
| 32I want you to be without concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord. | 32I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord. |
| 33But a married man is concerned about the things of the world--how he may please his wife-- | 33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife-- |
| 34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world--how she may please her husband. | 34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband. |
| 35Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but because of what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction. | 35I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. |
| 36But if any man thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin, if she is past marriageable age, and so it must be, he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; they can get married. | 36If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. |
| 37But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will) and has decided in his heart to keep his own virgin, will do well. | 37But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin--this man also does the right thing. |
| 38So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not marry will do better. | 38So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better. |
| 39A wife is bound as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants--only in the Lord. | 39A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. |
| 40But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God. | 40In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is--and I think that I too have the Spirit of God. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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