King James Bible

New Living Translation

1Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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 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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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 contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

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

10And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart 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.

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

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 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.

13And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave 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 sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they 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 depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us 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 what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy 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?

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 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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

24Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first 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 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 suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.

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

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

29But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be 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 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 weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions.

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

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

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

40But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I 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.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

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.