1 Corinthians 7

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 in regard to the matters about which you wrote: "It is a good thing 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 because of cases of immorality every man should have his own wife, and every woman 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 The husband should fulfill his duty toward his wife, and likewise the wife toward her 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 A wife does not have authority over her own body, but rather her husband, and similarly a husband does not have authority over his own body, but rather his 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 Do not deprive each other, except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, to be free for prayer, but then return to one another, so that Satan may not tempt you through your lack of self-control.
6 I am telling you this as a concession, not an order.	6 This I say by way of concession, however, not as a command.
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 Indeed, I wish everyone to be as I am, but each has a particular gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
8 To the unmarried and to widows I say: it is good for them to stay as they are, like me.	8 Now to the unmarried and to widows, I say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do,
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 cannot exercise self-control they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be on fire.
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 To the married, however, I give this instruction (not I, but the Lord): a wife should not separate 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 does separate she must either remain single or become reconciled to her husband--and a husband should not divorce 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 To the rest I say (not the Lord): if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she is willing to go on living with him, he should not divorce her;
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 has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he is willing to go on living with her, she should not divorce 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 made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, whereas in fact 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 If the unbeliever separates, however, let him separate. The brother or sister is not bound in such cases; God has called you to 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 do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband; or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your 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 Only, everyone should live as the Lord has assigned, just as God called each one. I give this order in all the churches.
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 Was someone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was an uncircumcised person called? He should 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 means nothing, and uncircumcision means nothing; what matters is keeping God's commandments.
20 Everyone should stay in whatever state he was in when he was called.	20 Everyone should remain in the state 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 Were you a slave when you were called? Do not be concerned but, even if you can gain your freedom, make the most of it.
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 the slave called in the Lord is a freed person in the Lord, just as the free person who has been called is a slave of Christ.
23 You have been bought at a price; do not be slaves now to any human being.	23 You have been purchased at a price. Do not become slaves to human beings.
24 Each one of you, brothers, is to stay before God in the state in which you were cal ed.	24 Brothers, everyone should continue before God in the state in which he was called.
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 in regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.
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 So this is what I think best because of the present distress: that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.
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 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation. Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for 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 If you marry, however, you do not sin, nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries; but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life, and I would like to spare you that.
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 I tell you, brothers, the time is running out. From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
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 those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning,
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 those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing 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 I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.
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 a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
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 he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about 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 I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction.
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 If anyone thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, and if a critical moment has come and so it has to be, let him do as he wishes. He is committing no sin; let them get married.
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 The one who stands firm in his resolve, however, who is not under compulsion but has power over his own will, and has made up his mind to keep his virgin, will be doing well.
38 In other words, he who marries his fiance'e is doing wel , and he who does not, better still.	38 So then, the one who marries his virgin does well; the one who does not marry her will do 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 wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whomever she wishes, provided that it be 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 She is more blessed, though, in my opinion, if she remains as she is, and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.