New King James Version

New Living Translation

1Now concerning the things of which you wrote to 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, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each 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 to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

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

4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And 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 with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does 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.

6But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.

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

7For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in 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.

8But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even 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, let them 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.

10Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to 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 even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to 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.

12But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him 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.

13And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her 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 sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now 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 unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has 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 how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O 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?

17But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain 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 called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? 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 keeping the commandments of God is what matters.

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

20Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.

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

21Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it.

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

22For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.

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 at a price; do not become slaves of men.

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

24Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.

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

25Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made 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 suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man 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 loosed. Are you loosed 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 even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would 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, so that from now on even those who have wives should 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.

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

31and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the 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.

32But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of 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 who is married cares about the things 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 a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about 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 say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve 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 thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; 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 who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does 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 gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.

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

39A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty 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.

40But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment—and I think I also 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.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. 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.