| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. | 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 should have her own husband. | 2But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. |
| 3The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. | 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the 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. | 4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise the husband does not have authority over 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 consent and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through 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 all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. |
| 8So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. | 8Now to the unmarried and widows I say this: It is good for them to remain unmarried, 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 cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. |
| 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 must not separate from her 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. | 11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must 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 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 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 an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must 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 through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be 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 leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live 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? | 16How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man still uncircumcised when called? He should not be 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. Keeping God’s commandments is what counts. |
| 20Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. | 20Each one should remain in the situation he was in when 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 a slave when you were called? Do not let it concern you—but if you can gain your freedom, take 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 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. |
| 23God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. | 23You were bought at 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. | 24Brothers, each one should remain in the situation he was in when God called him. |
| 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. | 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 best to remain as you are. | 26Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is. |
| 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. | 27Are you committed to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you free of commitment? Do not look for a wife. |
| 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 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. |
| 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. | 29What I am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had 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 who weep, as if they did not; those who are joyful, as if they were not; those who make a purchase, as if they had nothing; |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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 a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. | 33But the married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can 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 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 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 own good, not to restrict you, but in order to promote proper decorum and undivided devotion 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. | 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. |
| 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 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 the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better. | 38So then, he who marries the virgin does well, but he who does not marry her does even 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 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. |
| 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. | 40In my judgment, however, she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God. |
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