¹Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. ²But because of the danger of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and each woman have her own husband. ³Let the husband fulfil the romance due to the wife, and similarly also the wife to her husband. ⁴It is not the wife who has authority over her own body, but the husband. And similarly, neither is it the man who has authority over his own body, but the wife. ⁵Do not withhold from one another, except perhaps in agreement for a while, in order that you may be at leisure for fasting and prayer, and come together again, so that Satan does not tempt you through lack of control on your part. ⁶But I say this sympathetically, not by commandment. ⁷For I wish that all men were as I myself am, but each has his own gracious gift from God – one of this kind, one of that kind. ⁸But I say to those who are unmarried and to the widows, that it is good for them if they remain as I am. ⁹But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be ardently desirous. ¹⁰And to those married, I command, though not I, but the Lord, that a woman should not separate from her husband. ¹¹But if she does separate, let her remain unmarried, or let her be reconciled to her husband. And I command a husband not to divorce his wife. ¹²And to the rest, I, not the Lord, speak. If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, let him not divorce her. ¹³And as for a wife who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, let her not divorce him. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified by the husband, since otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. ¹⁵But if the unbelieving spouse separates, let him be separate. A brother or sister is not tied down in such cases. And God has called us in peace. ¹⁶For how do you know, you wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, you husband, whether you will save your wife? ¹⁷But as God has distributed to everyone – as the Lord has called everyone – so let him walk. And this is what I command in all the churches. ¹⁸Is anyone who is circumcised called? Let him not screen his circumcision. Is anyone in uncircumcision called? Let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹Circumcision isn't anything, nor is uncircumcision anything, but rather keeping the commandments of God is quite something. ²⁰Let each person remain in the particular calling in which he is called. ²¹Have you, as a slave, been called? Don't let it be a concern to you. But even so, if you can become free, it is preferable to make use of it. ²²For the slave who has been called in the Lord is the Lord's freedman. Likewise too, the called free man is Christ's servant. ²³You have been bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴Brothers, let everyone remain with God in the circumstances in which he has been called. ²⁵Now concerning virgins, I do not have a commandment from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who has received mercy from the Lord, so as to be faithful. ²⁶So I consider this to be right, on account of the present constrained circumstances: that it is right for a man to stay as he is. ²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek dissolution. Have you been released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸But even if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. However, such will have tribulation in the flesh. But I spare you. ²⁹And I say this, brothers: the time has drawn on. From now on it is for even those who have wives to be as if they do not have wives, ³⁰and for those who weep to be as if they do not weep, and for those who rejoice to be as if they do not rejoice, and for those who make purchases to be as if they don't possess anything, ³¹and for those who use this world to be as if they don't exploit it, for the system of this world is passing away. ³²And I would like you to be free from anxiety. He who is not married cares about the affairs of the Lord, about how he can please the Lord, ³³but he who is married cares about the affairs of the world, about how he can please his wife. ³⁴There is also a distinction between a married woman and a virgin. An unmarried woman cares about the affairs of the Lord, in order that she may be holy in both body and spirit. But the married woman cares about the affairs of the world, about how she can please her husband. ³⁵And I say this for the benefit of yourselves, not in order to put a noose round you, but for the sake of what is seemly and with willing devotion to the Lord without distraction. ³⁶But if anyone thinks he is behaving in an improper way towards his virgin daughter, if she is passing the prime of life, and if he thinks it has to be this way, let him do what he wishes – he is not sinning – let such virgins marry. ³⁷But he who stands steadfast in his heart, not being under compulsion, but who has control over his own will, and who has so decided in his heart to keep his virgin daughter at home – he does well. ³⁸So that he who gives her in marriage also does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better. ³⁹The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband is alive. But if her husband falls asleep, she is free to marry whom she wishes, except that it must be in the Lord. ⁴⁰But she is more blessed if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I also consider I have the spirit of God.