1 Corinthians 7

1 Now for the matters [concerning the things] you wrote about: It is good [beneficial] to abstain [not to touch, have nothing to do with] from sexual relations [a woman, marriage]. word study 2 But because [due to the presence of, on account of] there is so much [a great amount of, widespread] sexual immorality [fornication, whoredom], each man should have [possess, hold] his own [private, personal] wife [woman], and each woman her own [private, personal] husband [man]. word study 3 The husband [man, adult male] should fulfill [render, pay] his marital duty [due benevolence, what is owed] to his wife [woman, spouse], and likewise [in a similar manner, also] the wife [woman, spouse] to her husband [man, partner]. word study 4 The wife [a woman, either married or unmarried] does not have authority [control, power] over her own [private, personal] body [the whole physical person], but the husband [a man, an adult male]. Likewise [in a similar manner, also] the husband [the man] does not have authority [dominion, right] over his own [personal, intimate] body [the physical self], but the wife [the woman, a spouse]. word study 5 Do not [defraud, cheat] deprive each other, except by [mutual consent, agreement] mutual consent and for a [short, limited] time, so you may devote [give] yourselves to prayer [fasting and communion with God]. Then come together again, so that [Satan, the adversary] Satan will not tempt [test] you through your [lack of self-control, incontinence] lack of self-control. word study 6 I say [speak, declare] this [this specific matter] as [by way of] a concession [permission, indulgence] [allowing something to happen], not [absolutely not] as [according to] a command [directive, decree, a ruling from authority]. word study 7 I wish [desire, long for] that all men [human beings, people] were as I am [like myself, in my condition]. But each man [every individual, person] has his own [private, personal] gift [spiritual endowment, divine gratuity] from God [the one true deity]; one has this gift [in this way, thus], another has that [in another manner, differently]. word study 8 Now to the unmarried [those who are not married, single] and widows [women who have lost their husbands] I say this: It is good [beneficial, advantageous] for them to remain [stay, abide] unmarried [single, not married], as [in the same manner, similarly] I am [exist, remain]. word study 9 But if they cannot [have not, lack] control themselves [self-control, continency], let them marry [wed, get married]. For it is better [greater, more advantageous] to marry [to wed, be joined] than to burn [be ignited, have burning desire] with passion [desire, lust]. word study 10 To the married [those who are wed, in a covenant relationship] I give this command [instruction, order] (not I, but the Lord [God, the supreme authority]): A wife [woman, partner] must not [under no circumstances] separate [leave, depart] from her husband [man, spouse]. word study 11 But if she does [separates, departs], she must remain [stay, abide] unmarried [single, without a spouse] or else be reconciled [restored to a state of friendship, reunited] to her husband [the man she is married to]. And a husband [man, male spouse] must not [is not to, should not] divorce [leave, send away] his wife [female spouse, woman]. word study 12 To the rest [remaining ones, those who are left] I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother [fellow Christian, male sibling] has an unbelieving [without faith, untrustful] wife and she is willing [consents, agrees] to live with him, he must not [under no circumstances] divorce [leave, send away] her. word study 13 And if a woman [who has a husband that does not believe] has an unbelieving [without faith] husband and he is willing [consents to, agrees] to live [dwell, cohabitate] with her, she must not [let her not, should not] divorce [leave, send away] him. word study 14 For the unbelieving [without faith, not trusting in God] husband is sanctified [made holy, set apart] through his believing [trusting, having faith in God] wife, and the unbelieving [not having faith, unconverted] wife is sanctified [purified, consecrated] through her believing [faithful, devoted] husband. Otherwise [if not, in another case] your children would be unclean [impure, unholy], but now [at this present time] they are holy [set apart, consecrated, sacred]. word study 15 But if the unbeliever [without faith, not trusting in God] leaves, let him go [separate, depart]. The believing brother [a male sibling in the faith] or sister [a female sibling in the faith] is not bound [enslaved, under bondage] in such cases [situations like this]. God [the supreme Creator, Elohim] has called [invited, summoned] you to live in peace [harmony, freedom from strife]. word study 16 How do you know [or have insight into], wife [woman, married or unmarried], whether you will save [deliver from harm, rescue] your husband [man, adult male]? Or how do you know [perceive, see], husband [man], whether you will save [heal, protect] your wife [woman]? word study 17 Regardless, each one [individually, as God has distributed] should lead the life [walk, follow the path] that the Lord [God, the supreme authority] has assigned [given, appointed] to him and to which God [the one true deity] has called [invited, summoned] him. This is what I prescribe [command, direct] in all [every, the entirety of] the churches [assemblies, gatherings of believers]. word study 18 Was a man already circumcised [in a Jewish covenant context] when he was called [invited by God]? He should not become uncircumcised [reverse his circumcision, attempt to undo it]. Was a man still uncircumcised [in a state of uncircumcision, without the Jewish sign] when called [summoned by God]? He should not be circumcised [undergo the Jewish rite, take on the physical sign]. word study 19 Circumcision [a Jewish rite of cutting] is nothing [of no value, meaningless] and uncircumcision [not being circumcised, a state of being] is nothing [of no importance]. Keeping [obeying, observing carefully] God’s [the one true deity] commandments [divine instructions, orders] is what counts [what truly matters, is of value]. word study 20 Each one [every person, individually] should remain [stay, abide, continue] in the situation [calling, position, circumstance] he was in [at the time of his conversion, when God called him] when he was called [invited by God, summoned to salvation]. word study 21 Were you a slave [a bondservant] when you were called [to salvation, invited by God]? Do not let it concern [trouble or worry] you—but if you can gain [attain, acquire] your freedom [a state of liberty], take [use, employ] the opportunity [chance, occasion]. word study 22 For he who was a [bondservant] slave when he was called by the Lord [God, Master] is the Lord’s [liberated one] freedman. Conversely, he who was a [unrestricted] free man when he was called is Christ’s [servant, bondservant, one subject to His will] slave. word study 23 You were bought [with a price, redeemed] at a price [a value or honor]; do not become [be, come into being] slaves [bondslaves or servants] of men [human beings]. word study 24 Brothers [fellow believers, brethren], each one [individually, every man] should remain [stay, abide] in the situation [condition, state] he was in [existed, found himself] when God [the one true deity] called [invited, summoned] him. word study 25 Now about [concerning, regarding] virgins [unmarried people, those who have not been married], I have no [absolutely none, no command whatsoever] command from the Lord [God, the supreme authority], but I give a judgment [my opinion, a decision] as one who by the Lord’s [God’s, the supreme ruler’s] mercy [kindness, compassion] is [considered to be, deemed] trustworthy [faithful, reliable]. word study 26 Because of the present [urgent, distressing] crisis [necessity, difficult situation], I think [suppose, believe] it is good [beneficial, fair] for a man [human being, person] to remain [stay, continue] as he is [in his current state, unchanged]. word study 27 Are you [already] committed [bound, tied] to a wife [woman, partner]? Do not seek [try to find, look for] to be released [loosed, freed]. Are you free [unmarried, untied] of commitment [binding tie]? Do not look [search, seek] for a wife [woman, partner]. word study 28 But if you do marry [take a wife, wed], you have not sinned [missed the mark, fallen short]. And if a virgin [unmarried woman, pure one] marries [becomes a wife, enters into matrimony], she has not sinned [committed a wrong, erred]. But those who marry [enter into marriage, become one flesh] will face troubles [pressure, tribulation] in this life [fleshly existence, earthly experience], and I want to spare [treat leniently, show mercy to] you [as my concern, for your benefit] this. word study 29 What I am saying [declaring, asserting], brothers [fellow believers, brethren], is that the time [season, opportunity] is short [has been shortened, brief]. From now on [henceforth, from this point forward] those who have wives [are married, have women] should live [exist, conduct themselves] as if [as though, in the manner of] they had none [were not married, without wives]; word study 30 those who weep [as though they wept not, sorrowing], as if they did not; those who are joyful [rejoicing, feeling happy], as if they were not; those who make a purchase [buying, acquiring], as if they had nothing [possessed not, owned nothing]; word study 31 and those who use [as not abusing, to the full] the things of this world [the orderly arrangement, the world system], as if not [completely, fully] dependent on them [using them up, misusing]. For this world [the present world order, the fashion of this world] in its present form [external appearance, shape] is passing away [going away, coming to an end]. word study 32 I want you [to be free from cares, without anxious concern] to be free from concern [untroubled, without worries]. The unmarried [single, not married] man is concerned [anxious, careful] about the work [things, affairs] of the Lord [God, Master], how [in what way, by what means] he can please [be agreeable to, satisfy] the Lord [God, Master]. word study 33 But the married [wed, having a spouse] man is concerned [anxious, worried] about the affairs [things, matters] of this world [the earthly realm, human society], how [in what way, by what means] he can please [be agreeable to, satisfy] his wife [woman, partner], word study 34 and his interests are divided [separated, torn between two loyalties]. The unmarried woman or virgin [a chaste and dedicated person] is concerned about the work [things, affairs] of the Lord [the supreme Master], how she can be holy [set apart, consecrated] in both body [physical person] and spirit [the vital principle, breath of life]. But the married woman [a wife, a wedded person] is concerned about the affairs [things, matters] of this world [the earthly realm], how she can please [be agreeable to, satisfy] her husband [her man, spouse]. word study 35 I am saying this [for your own benefit, to help you] for your own good [profit, advantage], not to restrict [put a noose on, hold back] you, but in order to promote [show, demonstrate] proper [seemly, decent, noble] decorum [what is comely, honorable] and undivided [without distraction, devoted] devotion [dedication, service] to the Lord [God, Master, the supreme authority]. word study 36 However, if [under certain circumstances, in a particular situation] someone thinks [believes, considers, has an opinion] he is acting [behaving, conducting himself] inappropriately [unseemly, improperly, in an unbecoming way] toward his betrothed [virgin, fiancée, engaged partner], and if she is [has passed] beyond her youth [prime, flower of her age] and they ought [should, are obligated] to marry [become husband and wife, enter into marriage], let him do [act, proceed] as he wishes [desires, intends]; he is not [does not] sinning [missing the mark, falling short]; they should [ought to, are advised to] get married [be joined together, become one]. word study 37 But the man who is firmly established [stedfast, unwavering] in his heart [the seat of thoughts, feelings, and emotions] and under no constraint [no necessity, no obligation], with control [authority, power] over his will [desire, intention] and resolve [determined, decided] in his heart not to marry [to keep, to preserve] the virgin [an unmarried person, a chaste woman], he will do [accomplish, bring about] well [rightly, in a morally good way]. word study 38 So then, he who marries [gives in marriage, to marry off] the virgin [his own daughter, a woman pledged to marry] does well [rightly, in a morally good way], but he who does not [chooses not to, refrains from] marry [give in marriage] her does even better [more advantageously, to greater benefit]. word study 39 A wife [bound by law, under obligation] is bound to her husband [her marital partner] as long as he lives [is alive]. But if her husband [her spouse] dies [falls asleep], she is free [unrestricted] to marry anyone she wishes [desires], as long as he belongs to [is in] the Lord [God, the supreme Master]. word study 40 In my judgment [opinion, resolution], however, she is happier [more blessed] if she remains [stays, abides] as she is [in her current state]. And I think [suppose, have an opinion] that I too have [possess, hold] the Spirit [breath of God] of God [the one true deity]. word study