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Chapter 7
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1
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Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman. |
2
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Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have
his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. |
3
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Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence:
and likewise also the wife unto the husband. |
4
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The 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. |
5
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Defraud 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. |
6
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But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. |
7
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For 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. |
8
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I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is
good for them if they abide even as I. |
9
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But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it
is better to marry than to burn. |
10
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And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the
Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: |
11
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But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or
be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband
put away his wife. |
12
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But 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. |
13
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And the woman which hath an husband that believeth
not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her
not leave him. |
14
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For 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. |
15
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But 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. |
16
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For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save
thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou
shalt save thy wife? |
17
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But 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. |
18
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Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become
uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him
not be circumcised. |
19
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Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing,
but the keeping of the commandments of God. |
20
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Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he
was called. |
21
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Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but
if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. |
22
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For 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. |
23
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Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants
of men. |
24
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Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein
abide with God. |
25
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Now 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. |
26
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I suppose therefore that this is good for the present
distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. |
27
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Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed.
Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. |
28
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But 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. |
29
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But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth,
that both they that have wives be as though they had
none; |
30
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And 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; |
31
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And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for
the fashion of this world passeth away. |
32
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But 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: |
33
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But he that is married careth for the things that are
of the world, how he may please his wife. |
34
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There 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. |
35
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And 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. |
36
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But 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. |
37
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Nevertheless 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. |
38
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So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well;
but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better. |
39
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The 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. |
40
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But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment:
and I think also that I have the Spirit of God. |
