New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

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

1Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.

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

2But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.

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

3The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

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

4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

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.

5Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

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

6But this I say by way of concession, not of command.

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

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

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

8But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.

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

9But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

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.

10But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband

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

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

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.

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

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.

13And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.

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.

14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

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.)

15Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.

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?

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?

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.

17Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches.

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.

18Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised.

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

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

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

20Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called.

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

21Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.

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.

22For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave.

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

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

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

24Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.

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.

25Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.

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

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

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.

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

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.

28But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.

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.

29But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;

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

30and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;

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.

31and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.

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.

32But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

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

33but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,

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.

34and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

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.

35This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

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.

36But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.

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.

37But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well.

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

38So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

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.

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

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.

40But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

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.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org