Corinthians (The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the )

And concerning the things of which ye wrote to me: good [it is] for a man not to touch a woman,

and because of the whoredom let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her proper husband;

to the wife let the husband the due benevolence render, and in like manner also the wife to the husband;

the wife over her own body hath not authority, but the husband; and, in like manner also, the husband over his own body hath not authority, but the wife.

Defraud not one another, except by consent for a time, that ye may be free for fasting and prayer, and again may come together, that the Adversary may not tempt you because of your incontinence;

and this I say by way of concurrence -- not of command,

And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they may remain even as I [am];

and if they have not continence -- let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn;

and to the married I announce -- not I, but the Lord -- let not a wife separate from a husband:

but and if she may separate, let her remain unmarried, or to the husband let her be reconciled, and let not a husband send away a wife.

And to the rest I speak -- not the Lord -- if any brother hath a wife unbelieving, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not send her away;

and a woman who hath a husband unbelieving, and he is pleased to dwell with her, let her not send him away;

for the unbelieving husband hath been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife hath been sanctified in the husband; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

And, if the unbelieving doth separate himself -- let him separate himself: the brother or the sister is not under servitude in such [cases], and in peace hath God called us;

for what, hast thou known, O wife, whether the husband thou shalt save? or what, hast thou known, O husband, whether the wife thou shalt save?

if not, as God did distribute to each, as the Lord hath called each -- so let him walk; and thus in all the assemblies do I direct:

being circumcised -- was any one called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision was any one called? let him not be circumcised;

the circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing -- but a keeping of the commands of God.

Each in the calling in which he was called -- in this let him remain;

a servant -- wast thou called? be not anxious; but if also thou art able to become free -- use [it] rather;

for he who [is] in the Lord -- having been called a servant -- is the Lord's freedman: in like manner also he the freeman, having been called, is servant of Christ:

with a price ye were bought, become not servants of men;

each, in that in which he was called, brethren, in this let him remain with God.

And concerning the virgins, a command of the Lord I have not; and I give judgment as having obtained kindness from the Lord to be faithful:

I suppose, therefore, this to be good because of the present necessity, that [it is] good for a man that the matter be thus: --

Hast thou been bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; hast thou been loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

But and if thou mayest marry, thou didst not sin; and if the virgin may marry, she did not sin; and such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I spare you.