1 Corinthians 7

⁸Now to the unmarried and widows I say this: It is good for them to remain unmarried, as I am.

¹⁰His disciples said to Him, “If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.”

¹¹“Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given.

²⁶Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is.

²⁷Are you committed to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you free of commitment? Do not look for a wife.

³⁷But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well.

³⁸So then, he who marries the virgin does well, but he who does not marry her does even better.

⁶Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her.

²⁹So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.

²⁸In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

³³Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

⁹But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

²²He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

¹⁸May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:

¹⁹A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.

¹⁸Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

⁷Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

¹⁰If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.

⁹Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

³Then I said to her, “You must live with me for many days; you must not be promiscuous or belong to another, and I will do the same for you.”

¹¹So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.

¹²And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

¹⁵“Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman.”

¹⁶Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.

¹²The land will mourn, each clan on its own: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives,

¹³the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives,

⁴“There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”

⁵David answered, “Women have indeed been kept from us, as is usual when I set out. And the bodies of the young men are holy even on common missions. How much more so today!”

¹¹“Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given.

¹⁰“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

⁸I am not giving a command, but I am testing the sincerity of your love through the earnestness of others.

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.

¹²To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

¹⁷In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

¹¹“Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given.

¹²For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

⁸Now to the unmarried and widows I say this: It is good for them to remain unmarried, as I am.

⁶We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith;

⁵Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

⁴There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.

¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.

³²I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.

³⁴and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the work of the Lord, how she can be holy in both body and spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, how she can please her husband.

³⁵I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but in order to promote proper decorum and undivided devotion to the Lord.

⁷I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

²⁶Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is.

²⁷Are you committed to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you free of commitment? Do not look for a wife.

¹Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good to abstain from sexual relations.

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

¹⁴So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.

¹¹But refuse to enroll younger widows. For when their passions draw them away from Christ, they will want to marry,

²⁸But if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

³⁶However, if someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his betrothed, and if she is beyond her youth and they ought to marry, let him do as he wishes; he is not sinning; they should get married.

³⁹A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.

³²But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

¹⁸Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

¹⁴Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

¹⁵Has not the Lord made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.

³Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”

⁴Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

¹¹So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.

¹²And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

¹⁵But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.

¹“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?” declares the Lord.

¹⁰To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.

¹⁹They are also to fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given a virgin of Israel a bad name. And she shall remain his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.

¹This is what the Lord says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of My creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold for your iniquities, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.

²But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,

³her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back, taking his servant and a pair of donkeys. So the girl brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.

²Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired.

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

¹⁷In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

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.

²Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel.

³So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

¹¹Now, therefore, make a confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.”

¹²And the whole assembly responded in a loud voice: “Truly we must do as you say!

¹⁵Has not the Lord made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.

¹⁶“For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the Lord of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.

⁵because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

¹Awake, awake, clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, holy city! For the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer enter you.

¹⁵To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

¹⁶If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁵Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!

¹⁶Or don’t you know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”

¹⁹So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.

¹¹Finally, brothers, rejoice! Aim for perfect harmony, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

³³For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace—as in all the churches of the saints.

⁵⁰For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

¹⁸If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.

¹Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives

²when they see your pure and reverent demeanor.

¹⁴in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them.

²²To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

¹⁹My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back,

²⁰consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

¹⁰In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

¹⁶Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

¹⁷That is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which is exactly what I teach everywhere in every church.

²⁴Brothers, each one should remain in the situation he was in when God called him.

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.

⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function,

²⁰Each one should remain in the situation he was in when he was called.

²¹Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let it concern you—but if you can gain your freedom, take the opportunity.

²⁸Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

¹⁸Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.

⁵But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”

¹⁹It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

¹It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.

²Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.

¹¹Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

²⁸It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements:

²⁴It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said.

⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. What matters is faith expressing itself through love.

¹⁵For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.

³By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.

⁴If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

²⁵Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

²⁶If a man who is not circumcised keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

²²and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.

²³And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.

¹⁴Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.

¹⁷Regardless, each one should lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is what I prescribe in all the churches.

¹¹and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.

⁸Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who wanders from his home.

¹²We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living.

²¹Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let it concern you—but if you can gain your freedom, take the opportunity.

²²For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman. Conversely, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave.

¹⁰The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”

¹¹John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”

¹⁸Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.

¹⁹For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.

¹¹Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

¹³For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

²⁹And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it.

⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things.

²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

¹⁶Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

¹⁶no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.

²²Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.

²³Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men,

¹³For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.

¹⁸You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

¹⁹I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

¹It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.

²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

¹⁸For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,

¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.

¹⁴He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

⁴²Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves.

⁹And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

¹⁸For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,

²⁰Each one should remain in the situation he was in when he was called.

²³Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men,

²⁴because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

¹⁷Regardless, each one should lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is what I prescribe in all the churches.

¹When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.

³¹So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

²²And after he had become the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.

²³So Enoch lived a total of 365 years.

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

²Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

⁴⁰In my judgment, however, she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

⁸I am not giving a command, but I am testing the sincerity of your love through the earnestness of others.

⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

¹²To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

¹⁰To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.

¹Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good to abstain from sexual relations.

⁸Now to the unmarried and widows I say this: It is good for them to remain unmarried, as I am.

²⁸But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

²⁹Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’

¹⁷For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?

²⁸But if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

³⁵I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but in order to promote proper decorum and undivided devotion to the Lord.

³⁶However, if someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his betrothed, and if she is beyond her youth and they ought to marry, let him do as he wishes; he is not sinning; they should get married.

¹²To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

¹³And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.

²⁰Each one should remain in the situation he was in when he was called.

⁴Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

³²I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.

³³But the married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can please his wife,

²⁶Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is.

²³I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.

¹⁷The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.

¹¹And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

¹²The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

³¹and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

¹³Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”

¹⁴You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

¹³Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore.

¹⁴For here we do not have a permanent city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

⁷The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.

⁴a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

²²So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

²¹Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

⁵Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.

⁶He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain.

¹⁷For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

⁵For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.

¹⁷The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.

⁷The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.

³⁴But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.

¹⁴You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

²⁴For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

⁷Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:

⁸Let your garments always be white, and never spare the oil for your head.

²⁵Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

²⁶Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

⁵The widow who is truly in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers.

⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

²²Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

²²The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

⁷Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

⁸If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her

²⁶to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

²²Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.

⁴And whenever the day came for Elkanah to present his sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.

⁵But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the Lord had closed her womb.

⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things.

²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

³⁶There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years,

³⁷and then was a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

¹Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

²⁰I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

¹³Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.

³³But the married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can please his wife,

³⁴and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the work of the Lord, how she can be holy in both body and spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, how she can please her husband.

³⁶However, if someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his betrothed, and if she is beyond her youth and they ought to marry, let him do as he wishes; he is not sinning; they should get married.

¹⁴The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

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

⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things.

⁹But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

³⁷But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well.

⁴Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

¹Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good to abstain from sexual relations.

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

³⁷But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well.

³²I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.

³³But the married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can please his wife,

⁸Now to the unmarried and widows I say this: It is good for them to remain unmarried, as I am.

²⁶Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is.

²For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.

³So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

¹⁴Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

¹⁵What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

¹⁰To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.

¹⁵But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.

¹¹Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the Lord’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.

³Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,

⁴because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

⁸Now to the unmarried and widows I say this: It is good for them to remain unmarried, as I am.

¹Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good to abstain from sexual relations.

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.

²⁶Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is.

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

¹¹I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.

³⁵I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but in order to promote proper decorum and undivided devotion to the Lord.