1 Corinthians 7:32-40 ▼

32 I want you to be free from concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, that is, about how he can please the Lord.

33 But a married man is concerned about things of this world, that is, about how he can please his wife,

34 and so his attention is divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, so that she may be holy in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, that is, about how she can please her husband.

35 I'm saying this for your benefit, not to put a noose around your necks, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.

36 If a man thinks he is not behaving properly toward his virgin, and if his passion is so strong that he feels he ought to marry her, let him do what he wants; he isn't sinning. Let them get married.

37 However, if a man stands firm in his resolve, feels no necessity, and has made up his mind to keep her a virgin, he will be acting appropriately.

38 So then the man who marries the virgin acts appropriately, but the man who refrains from marriage does even better.

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

40 However, in my opinion she will be happier if she stays as she is. And in saying this, I think that I, too, have God's Spirit.