1 Corinthians 7

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Now for the questions about which you wrote. Yes, it is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman;	1 Now concerning the thing whereof you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 yet to avoid immorality every man should have his own wife and every woman her own husband.	2 But for fear of fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 The husband must give to his wife what she has a right to expect, and so too the wife to her husband.	3 Let the husband render the debt to his wife, and the wife also in like manner to the husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and in the same way, thehusband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.	4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband. And in like manner the husband also hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 You must not deprive each other, except by mutual consent for a limited time, to leave yourselves freefor prayer, and to come together again afterwards; otherwise Satan may take advantage of any lack of self-control to put you to the test.	5 Defraud not one another, except, perhaps, by consent, for a time, that you may give yourselves to prayer; and return together again, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.
6 I am telling you this as a concession, not an order.	6 But I speak this by indulgence, not by commandment.
7 I should stil like everyone to be as I am myself; but everyone has his own gift from God, one this kindand the next something different.	7 For I would that all men were even as myself: but every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that.
8 To the unmarried and to widows I say: it is good for them to stay as they are, like me.	8 But I say to the unmarried, and to the widows: It is good for them if they so continue, even as I.
9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry, since it is better to be married than to be burntup.	9 But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burnt.
10 To the married I give this ruling, and this is not mine but the Lord's: a wife must not be separated fromher husband-	10 But to them that are married, not I but the Lord commandeth, that the wife depart not from her husband.
11 or if she has already left him, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband -- anda husband must not divorce his wife.	11 And if she depart, that she remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife.
12 For other cases these instructions are my own, not the Lord's. If one of the brothers has a wife who isnot a believer, and she is wil ing to stay with him, he should not divorce her;	12 For to the rest I speak, not the Lord. If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she consent to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
13 and if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is wil ing to stay with her, she should notdivorce her husband.	13 And if any woman hath a husband that believeth not, and he consent to dwell with her, let her not put away her husband.
14 You see, the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctifiedthrough the brother. If this were not so, your children would be unclean, whereas in fact they are holy.	14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife; and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband: otherwise your children should be unclean; but now they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever chooses to leave, then let the separation take place: in these circumstances, thebrother or sister is no longer tied. But God has called you to live in peace:	15 But if the unbeliever depart, let him depart. For a brother or sister is not under servitude in such cases. But God hath called us in peace.
16 as a wife, how can you tel whether you are to be the salvation of your husband; as a husband, howcan you tell whether you are to be the salvation of your wife?	16 For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband ? Or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife ?
17 Anyway let everyone continue in the part which the Lord has al otted to him, as he was when Godcal ed him. This is the rule that I give to al the churches.	17 But as the Lord hath distributed to every one, as God hath called every one, so let him walk: and so in all churches I teach.
18 If a man who is cal ed has already been circumcised, then he must stay circumcised; when anuncircumcised man is cal ed, he may not be circumcised.	18 Is any man called, being circumcised ? let him not procure uncircumcision. Is any man called in uncircumcision ? let him not be circumcised.
19 To be circumcised is of no importance, and to be uncircumcised is of no importance; what is importantis the keeping of God's commandments.	19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing: but the observance of the commandments of God.
20 Everyone should stay in whatever state he was in when he was called.	20 Let every man abide in the same calling in which he was called.
21 So, if when you were cal ed, you were a slave, do not think it matters -- even if you have a chance offreedom, you should prefer to make full use of your condition as a slave.	21 Wast thou called, being a bondman ? care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
22 You see, anyone who was cal ed in the Lord while a slave, is a freeman of the Lord; and in the sameway, anyone who was free when called, is a slave of Christ.	22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a bondman, is the freeman of the Lord. Likewise he that is called, being free, is the bondman of Christ.
23 You have been bought at a price; do not be slaves now to any human being.	23 You are bought with a price; be not made the bondslaves of men.
24 Each one of you, brothers, is to stay before God in the state in which you were cal ed.	24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he was called, therein abide with God.
25 About people remaining virgin, I have no directions from the Lord, but I give my own opinion as aperson who has been granted the Lord's mercy to be faithful.	25 Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give counsel, as having obtained mercy of the Lord, to be faithful.
26 Well then, because of the stress which is weighing upon us, the right thing seems to be this: it is goodfor people to stay as they are.	26 I think therefore that this is good for the present necessity, that it is good for a man so to be.
27 If you are joined to a wife, do not seek to be released; if you are freed of a wife, do not look for a wife.	27 Art thou bound to a wife ? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife ? seek not a wife.
28 However, if you do get married, that is not a sin, and it is not sinful for a virgin to enter upon marriage.But such people will have the hardships consequent on human nature, and I would like you to be without that.	28 But if thou take a wife, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned: nevertheless, such shall have tribulation of the flesh. But I spare you.
29 What I mean, brothers, is that the time has become limited, and from now on, those who havespouses should live as though they had none;	29 This therefore I say, brethren; the time is short; it remaineth, that they also who have wives, be as if they had none;
30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning; those who enjoy life as though they did notenjoy it; those who have been buying property as though they had no possessions;	30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
31 and those who are involved with the world as though they were people not engrossed in it. Becausethis world as we know it is passing away.	31 And they that use this world, as if they used it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
32 I should like you to have your minds free from al worry. The unmarried man gives his mind to theLord's affairs and to how he can please the Lord;	32 But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God.
33 but the man who is married gives his mind to the affairs of this world and to how he can please hiswife, and he is divided in mind.	33 But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided.
34 So, too, the unmarried woman, and the virgin, gives her mind to the Lord's affairs and to being holy inbody and spirit; but the married woman gives her mind to the affairs of this world and to how she can please herhusband.	34 And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 I am saying this only to help you, not to put a bridle on you, but so that everything is as it should be,and you are able to give your undivided attention to the Lord.	35 And this I speak for your profit: not to cast a snare upon you; but for that which is decent, and which may give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.
36 If someone with strong passions thinks that he is behaving badly towards his fiance'e and that thingsshould take their due course, he should fol ow his desires. There is no sin in it; they should marry.	36 But if any man think that he seemeth dishonoured, with regard to his virgin, for that she is above the age, and it must so be: let him do what he will; he sinneth not, if she marry.
37 But if he stands firm in his resolution, without any compulsion but with ful control of his own wil , anddecides to let her remain as his fiance'e, then he is acting wel .	37 For he that hath determined being steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but having power of his own will; and hath judged this in his heart, to keep his virgin, doth well.
38 In other words, he who marries his fiance'e is doing wel , and he who does not, better still.	38 Therefore, both he that giveth his virgin in marriage, doth well; and he that giveth her not, doth better.
39 A wife is tied as long as her husband is alive. But if the husband dies, she is free to marry anybodyshe likes, only it must be in the Lord.	39 A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband die, she is at liberty: let her marry to whom she will; only in the Lord.
40 She would be happier if she stayed as she is, to my way of thinking -- and I believe that I too have theSpirit of God.	40 But more blessed shall she be, if she so remain, according to my counsel; and I think that I also have the spirit of God.