1Nowconcerning the things about which you wrote, it is 1good for a man not to touch a woman.
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But because of immoralities, eachman is to have his ownwife, and eachwoman is to have her ownhusband.
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The husbandmustfulfill his duty to his wife, and likewisealso the wife to her husband.
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The wife does not haveauthorityover her ownbody, but the husband does; and likewisealso the husband does not haveauthorityover his ownbody, but the wife does.
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2Stopdeprivingoneanother, except by agreement for a time, so* that you may devoteyourselves to prayer, and cometogether**againso* that 3Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
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But this I say by way of concession, 4not of command.
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Yet I wish that allmen were 5even as I myself am. However, 6eachmanhas his owngift from God, one in thismanner, and another* in that.
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But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is 7good for them if they remain8even as I.
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But if they do not haveself-control, 9let them marry; for it is better to marrythan to burn with passion.
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But to the married I giveinstructions, 10not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband
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(but if she does leave, she must remainunmarried, orelse be reconciled to her husband ), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.
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But to the rest11I say, not the Lord, that ifanybrotherhas a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.
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And a womanwhohas an unbelievinghusband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husbandaway.
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For the unbelievinghusband is sanctifiedthrough his wife, and the unbelievingwife is sanctifiedthrough her believinghusband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are 12holy.
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Yetif the unbelievingoneleaves, let him leave; the brotheror the sister is not underbondage in such cases, but God has called us 13to peace.
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For how do you know, O wife, whether you will 14save your husband? Orhow do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
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Only*, 15as the Lord has assigned to eachone, as God has calledeach, in thismanner let him walk. And 16so I direct in 17all the churches.
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Was anymancalled when he was already circumcised? He is not to becomeuncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? 18He is not to be circumcised.
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19Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is 20the keeping of the commandments of God.
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21Eachman must remain in that condition in which he was called.
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Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are ablealso to becomefree, ratherdo that.
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For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is 22the Lord'sfreedman; likewise he who was called while free, is 23Christ'sslave.
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24You were bought with a price; do not becomeslaves of men.
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Brethren, 25eachone is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.
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Nowconcerningvirgins I have26nocommand of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who 27by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.
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I thinkthen that this is good in view of the present28distress, that 29it is good for a man to remain as he is.
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Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
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But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virginmarries, she has not sinned. Yetsuch will havetrouble in thislife, and I am trying to spare you.
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But this I say, brethren, 30the time has beenshortened, so that from now on those who havewives should be as though they hadnone;
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and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;
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and those who use the world, as though they did not 31makefulluse of it; for 32the form of thisworld is passingaway.
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But I want you to be free from concern. One who is 33unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
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but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
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and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holyboth in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
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This I say for your ownbenefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promotewhat is appropriate and to secure undistracteddevotion to the Lord.
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But ifanymanthinks that he is actingunbecominglytoward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him dowhat he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.
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But he whostandsfirm in his heart, beingundernoconstraint, but hasauthorityover his ownwill, and has decidedthis in his ownheart, to keep his ownvirgin daughter, he will dowell.
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Sothenboth he who gives his ownvirgin daughter in marriagedoeswell, and he who does not give her in marriage will dobetter.
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34A wife is bound as long as her husbandlives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only35in the Lord.
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But 36in my opinion she is happierif she remains as she is; and I think that I alsohave the Spirit of God.