1 Corinthians 7 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Concerning Marriage and Singleness

1 Now ^G1161 concerning ^G4012 the things about which ^G3739 you wrote ^G1125, it is good ^G2570 for a man ^G444 not to touch ^G681 a woman ^G1135.

2 But because ^G1223 of sexual ^G4202 immoralities ^G4202, each ^G1538 man ^G1538 is to have ^G2192 his own ^G1438 wife ^G1135, and each ^G1538 woman ^G1135 is to have ^G2192 her own ^G2398 husband ^G435. 3 The husband ^G435 must [fn]fulfill ^G591 his duty ^G3782 to his wife ^G1135, and likewise ^G3668 also ^G2532 the wife ^G1135 to her husband ^G435. 4 The wife ^G1135 does not have ^G1850 authority ^G1850 over ^G1850 her own ^G2398 body ^G4983, but the husband ^G435 does; and likewise ^G3668 also ^G2532 the husband ^G435 does not have ^G1850 authority ^G1850 over ^G1850 his own ^G2398 body ^G4983, but the wife ^G1135 does. 5 Stop ^G3361 depriving ^G650 one ^G240 another ^G240, except ^G1509 by agreement ^G4859 for a time ^G2540, so ^G2443 G3361 that you may devote ^G4980 yourselves ^G4980 to prayer ^G4335, and [fn]come ^G1510 together ^{G1909 G3588 G846} again ^G3825 so ^G2443 G3361 that Satan ^G4567 will not tempt ^G3985 you because ^G1223 of your lack ^G192 of ^G192 self-control ^G192. 6 But this ^G3778 I say ^G3004 as ^G2596 a concession ^G4774, not as ^G2596 a command ^G2003. 7 [fn]Yet ^G1161 I wish ^G2309 that all ^G3956 men ^G444 were even ^G2532 as I myself ^G1683 am. However ^G235, each ^G1538 man ^G1538 has ^G2192 his own ^G2398 gift ^G5486 from God ^G2316, one ^G3588 G3303 this ^G3779 way ^G3779, and another ^G3739 G1161 that.

8 But I say ^G3004 to the unmarried ^G22 and to widows ^G5503 that it is good ^G2570 for them if ^G1437 they remain ^G3306 even ^G2532 as I. 9 But if ^G1487 they do not have ^G1467 self-control ^G1467, let them marry ^G1060, for it is better ^G2909 to marry ^G1060 than ^G2228 to burn ^G4448 with passion.

10 But to the married ^G1060 I give ^G3853 instructions ^G3853, not I, but the Lord ^G2962, that the wife ^G1135 should not [fn]leave ^G5563 her husband ^G435 11 (but if ^G1437 she does leave ^G5563, she must remain ^G3306 unmarried ^G22, or ^G2228 else ^G2228 be reconciled ^G2644 to her husband ^G435), and that the husband ^G435 should not [fn]divorce ^G863 his wife ^G1135.

12 But to the rest ^G3062 I say ^G3004, not the Lord ^G2962, that if ^G1487 any ^G5100 brother ^G80 has ^G2192 a wife ^G1135 who is an unbeliever ^G571, and she consents ^G4909 to live ^G3611 with him, he must not [fn]divorce ^G863 her. 13 And a woman ^G1135 who ^G3748 has ^G2192 an unbelieving ^G571 husband ^G435, and he consents ^G4909 to live ^G3611 with her, she must not divorce ^G863 her husband ^G435. 14 For the unbelieving ^G571 husband ^G435 is sanctified ^G37 through ^G1722 his wife ^G1135, and the unbelieving ^G571 wife ^G1135 is sanctified ^G37 through ^G1722 [fn]her believing ^G80 husband ^G80. For ^G1893 otherwise ^G1893 your children ^G5043 are unclean ^G169, but now ^G3568 they are holy ^G40. 15 Yet ^G1161 if ^G1487 the unbelieving ^G571 one ^G571 leaves ^G5563, let him leave ^G5563. The brother ^G80 or ^G2228 the sister ^G79 is not enslaved ^G1402 in such ^G5108 cases, but God ^G2316 has called ^G2564 [fn]us [fn]to peace ^G1515. 16 For how ^G5101 do you know ^G6063, O wife ^G1135, whether ^G1487 you will save ^G4982 your husband ^G435? Or ^G2228 how ^G5101 do you know ^G6063, O husband ^G435, whether ^G1487 you will save ^G4982 your wife ^G1135?

17 Only ^G1487 G3361, as the Lord ^G2962 has assigned ^G3307 to each ^G1538 one ^G1538, as God ^G2316 has called ^G2564 each ^G1538, in ^G3779 this ^G3779 manner ^G3779 let him walk ^G4043. And so ^G3779 I direct ^G1299 in all ^G3956 the churches ^G1577. 18 Was any ^G5100 man ^G5100 called ^G2564 when he was already circumcised ^G4059? He is not to become ^G1986 uncircumcised ^G1986. Has anyone ^G5100 been called ^G2564 in uncircumcision ^G203? He is not to be circumcised ^G4059. 19 Circumcision ^G4061 is nothing ^G3762, and uncircumcision ^G203 is nothing ^G3762, but what matters is the keeping ^G5084 of the commandments ^G1785 of God ^G2316. 20 Each ^G1538 man ^G1538 must remain ^G3306 in that [fn]condition ^G2821 in which ^G3739 he was called ^G2564.

21 Were you called ^G2564 while a slave ^G1401? [fn]Do not worry ^G3199 about ^G3199 it. But if ^G1487 you are able ^G1410 also ^G2532 to become ^G1096 free ^G1658, rather ^G3123 [fn]do ^G5530 that. 22 For he who was called ^G2564 in the Lord ^G2962 while a slave ^G1401, is the Lord’s ^G2962 freedman ^G558. Likewise ^G3668 he who was called ^G2564 while free ^G1658, is Christ’s ^G5547 slave ^G1401. 23 You were bought ^G59 with a price ^G5092; do not become ^G1096 slaves ^G1401 of men ^G444. 24 Brothers ^G80, each ^G1538 one ^G1538 is to remain ^G3306 with God ^G2316 in that condition in which ^G3739 he was called ^G2564.

25 Now ^G1161 concerning ^G4012 virgins ^G3933 I have ^G2192 no ^G3756 command ^G2003 of the Lord ^G2962, but I give ^G1325 an opinion ^G1106 as one who [fn]by the mercy ^G1653 of the Lord ^G2962 is trustworthy ^G4103. 26 I think ^G3543 then ^G3767 that this ^G3778 is good ^G2570 because ^G1223 of the [fn]present ^G1764 distress ^G318, that it is good ^G2570 for a man ^G444 [fn]to remain ^G1510 as he is. 27 Are you bound ^G1210 to a wife ^G1135? Do not seek ^G2212 to be released ^G3080. Are you released ^G3089 from a wife ^G1135? Do not seek ^G2212 a wife ^G1135. 28 But if ^G1437 you marry ^G1060, you have not sinned ^G264. And if ^G1437 a virgin ^G3933 marries ^G1060, she has not sinned ^G264. Yet ^G1161 such ^G5108 will have ^G2192 [fn]trouble ^G2347 in this ^G3588 life ^G4561, and I am trying to spare ^G5339 you. 29 But this ^G3778 I say ^G5346, brothers ^G80, the time ^G2540 has been ^G1510 shortened ^G4958, so ^G2443 that from ^G3062 now ^G3062 on ^G3062 those ^G3588 who have ^G2192 wives ^G1135 should be as ^G5613 though ^G5613 they had ^G2192 none ^G3361; 30 and those ^G3588 who cry ^G2799, as ^G5613 though ^G5613 they did not cry ^G2799; and those ^G3588 who rejoice ^G5463, as ^G5613 though ^G5613 they did not rejoice ^G5463; and those ^G3588 who buy ^G59, as ^G5613 though ^G5613 they did not possess ^G2722; 31 and those ^G3588 who use ^G5530 the world ^G2889, as ^G5613 though ^G5613 they did not make ^G2710 full ^G2710 use ^G2710 of ^G2710 it. For the form ^G4976 of this ^G3778 world ^G2889 is passing ^G3855 away ^G3855.

32 But I want ^G2309 you to be free ^G275 from concern ^G275. One who is unmarried ^G22 is concerned ^G3309 about ^G3309 the things of the Lord ^G2962, how ^G4459 he may please ^G700 the Lord ^G2962. 33 But one who is married ^G1060 is concerned ^G3309 about ^G3309 the things of the world ^G2889, how ^G4459 he may please ^G700 his wife ^G1135, 34 and his interests have been divided ^G3307. The woman ^G1135 who is unmarried ^G22, and the virgin ^G3933, is concerned ^G3309 about ^G3309 the things of the Lord ^G2962, that she may be holy ^G40 both ^G2532 in body ^G4983 and spirit ^G4151. But one who is married ^G1060 is concerned ^G3309 about ^G3309 the things of the world ^G2889, how ^G4459 she may please ^G700 her husband ^G435. 35 Now this ^G3778 I say ^G3004 for your own ^G846 benefit ^G4851, not to put ^G1911 a restraint ^G1029 upon ^G1911 you, but [fn]to promote ^G4314 propriety ^G2158 and undistracted ^G563 devotion ^G2145 to the Lord ^G2962.

36 But if ^G1487 any ^G5100 man ^G5100 thinks ^G3543 that he is acting ^G807 unbecomingly ^G807 toward ^G1909 his virgin ^G3933 daughter, if ^G1437 she is past ^G5230 her youth ^G5230, and if it must ^G3784 be so ^G3779, let him do ^G4160 what ^G3739 he wishes ^G2309, he does not sin ^G264; let [fn]her marry ^G1060. 37 But he who ^G3739 stands ^G2476 firm ^G1476 in his heart ^G2588, [fn]being ^G2192 under ^G2192 no ^G3361 compulsion ^G318, but has ^G2192 authority ^G1849 [fn]over ^G4012 his own ^G2398 will ^G2307, and has decided ^G2919 this ^G3778 in his own ^G2398 heart ^G2588, to keep ^G5083 his own ^G1438 virgin ^G3933 daughter, he will do ^G4160 well ^G2573. 38 So ^G5620 then ^G5620 both ^G2532 he who gives ^G1061 his own ^G1438 virgin ^G3933 daughter in ^G1061 marriage ^G1061 does ^G4160 well ^G2573, and he who does not give ^G1061 her in ^G1061 marriage ^G1061 will do ^G4160 better ^G2909.

39 A wife ^G1135 is bound ^G1210 as long ^G5550 as her husband ^G435 lives ^G2198; but if ^G1437 her husband ^G435 has [fn]fallen ^G2837 asleep ^G2837, she is free ^G1658 to be married ^G1060 to whom ^G3739 she wishes ^G2309, only ^G3440 in the Lord ^G2962. 40 But in my opinion ^G1106 she is happier ^G3107 if ^G1437 she remains ^G3306 as she is. And I think ^G1380 that I also ^G2532 have ^G2192 the Spirit ^G4151 of God ^G2316.