| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. | 1Now with regard to the issues you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with 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 should have relations with his own wife and each woman with her own husband. |
| 3The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. | 3A husband should give to his wife her sexual rights, and likewise a 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. | 4It is not the wife who has the rights to her own body, but the husband. In the same way, it is not the husband who has the rights to his own body, but the wife. |
| 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. | 5Do not deprive each other, except by mutual agreement for a specified time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then resume your relationship, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. |
| 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. | 6I say this as a concession, not as a 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. | 7I wish that everyone was as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one this way, another that. |
| 8So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. | 8To the unmarried and widows I say that it is best for them to remain as I am. |
| 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 get married. For it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire. |
| 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. | 10To the married I give this command--not I, but the Lord--a wife should not divorce a 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, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband), and a 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. | 12To the rest I say--I, not the Lord--if a brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is happy to live with him, he should 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 if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is happy to live with her, she should not divorce him. |
| 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 because of the wife, and the unbelieving wife because of her husband. 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.) | 15But if the unbeliever wants a divorce, let it take place. In these circumstances the brother or sister is not bound. God has called you in 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, wife, whether you will bring your husband to salvation? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will bring your wife to salvation? |
| 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. | 17Nevertheless, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each person, so must he live. I give this sort of direction 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 anyone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was anyone called who is uncircumcised? He should not get 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. Instead, keeping God's commandments is what counts. |
| 20Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. | 20Let each one remain in that situation in life 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 as a slave? Do not worry about it. But if indeed you are able to be free, make the most of the opportunity. |
| 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 the one who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord's freedman. In the same way, the one who was called as a free person 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. | 24In whatever situation someone was called, brothers and sisters, let him remain in it with God. |
| 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. | 25With regard to the question about people who have never married, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy. |
| 26Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are. | 26Because of the impending crisis I think it best for you to remain as you are. |
| 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. | 27The one bound to a wife should not seek divorce. The one released from a wife should not seek marriage. |
| 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. But those who marry will face difficult circumstances, and I am trying to spare you such problems. |
| 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. | 29And I say this, brothers and sisters: The time is short. So then those who have wives should be as those who have none, |
| 30Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. | 30those with tears like those not weeping, those who rejoice like those not rejoicing, those who buy like those without possessions, |
| 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. | 31those who use the world as though they were not using it to the full. For the present shape 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. | 32And I want you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. |
| 33But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. | 33But a married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to 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 he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to 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. | 35I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service 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. | 36If anyone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the bloom of youth and it seems necessary, he should do what he wishes; he does not sin. Let them 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 the man who is firm in his commitment, and is under no necessity but has control over his will, and has decided in his own mind to keep his own virgin, does well. |
| 38So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better. | 38So then, the one who marries his own virgin does well, but the one who does not, does 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 is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes (only someone 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 will be happier if she remains as she is--and I think that I too have the Spirit of God! |
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