| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. | 1Now for the matters you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." |
| 2Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. | 2But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. |
| 3Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. | 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. |
| 4The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. | 4The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. |
| 5Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. | 5Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. |
| 6But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. | 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. |
| 7For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. | 7I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. |
| 8I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. | 8Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. |
| 9But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. | 9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. |
| 10And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: | 10To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. |
| 11But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. | 11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. |
| 12But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. | 12To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. |
| 13And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. | 13And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. |
| 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. | 14For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. |
| 15But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. | 15But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. |
| 16For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? | 16How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? |
| 17But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. | 17Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. |
| 18Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. | 18Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. |
| 19Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. | 19Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. |
| 20Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. | 20Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. |
| 21Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. | 21Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so. |
| 22For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. | 22For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord's freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ's slave. |
| 23Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. | 23You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. |
| 24Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. | 24Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. |
| 25Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. | 25Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. |
| 26I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. | 26Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. |
| 27Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. | 27Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. |
| 28But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. | 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. |
| 29But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; | 29What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; |
| 30And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; | 30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; |
| 31And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. | 31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. |
| 32But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: | 32I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord. |
| 33But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. | 33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife-- |
| 34There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. | 34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband. |
| 35And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. | 35I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. |
| 36But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry. | 36If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. |
| 37Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. | 37But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin--this man also does the right thing. |
| 38So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better. | 38So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better. |
| 39The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. | 39A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. |
| 40But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God. | 40In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is--and I think that I too have the Spirit of God. |
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