Side by side
1 Corinthians 7
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890
1Now, as to the things in your letter to me: It is good for a man to have nothing to do with a woman.
1But concerning the things of which ye have written [to me]: [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman;
2But because of the desires of the flesh, let every man have his wife, and every woman her husband.
2but on account of fornications, let each have his own wife, and each [woman] have her own husband.
3Let the husband give to the wife what is right; and let the wife do the same to the husband.
3Let the husband render her due to the wife, and in like manner the wife to the husband.
4The wife has not power over her body, but the husband; and in the same way the husband has not power over his body, but the wife.
4The wife has not authority over her own body, but the husband: in like manner also the husband has not authority over his own body, but the wife.
5Do not keep back from one another what is right, but only for a short time, and by agreement, so that you may give yourselves to prayer, and come together again; so that Satan may not get the better of you through your loss of self-control.
5Defraud not one another, unless, it may be, by consent for a time, that ye may devote yourselves to prayer, and again be together, that Satan tempt you not because of your incontinency.
6But this I say as my opinion, and not as an order of the Lord.
6But this I say, as consenting [to], not as commanding [it].
7It is my desire that all men might be even as I am. But every man has the power of his special way of life given him by God, one in this way and one in that.
7Now I wish all men to be even as myself: but every one has his own gift ofGod: one man thus, and another thus.
8But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, It is good for them to be even as I am.
8But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, It is good for them that they remain even as I.
9But if they have not self-control let them get married; for married life is better than the burning of desire.
9But if they have not control over themselves, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn.
10But to the married I give orders, though not I but the Lord, that the wife may not go away from her husband
10But to the married I enjoin, not I, but the Lord, Let not wife be separated from husband;
11(Or if she goes away from him, let her keep unmarried, or be united to her husband again); and that the husband may not go away from his wife.
11(but if also she shall have been separated, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband;) and let not husband leave wife.
12But to the rest I say, and not the Lord; If a brother has a wife who is not a Christian, and it is her desire to go on living with him, let him not go away from her.
12But as to the rest, I say, not the Lord, If any brother have an unbelieving wife, and she consent to dwell with him, let him not leave her.
13And if a woman has a husband who is not a Christian, and it is his desire to go on living with her, let her not go away from her husband.
13And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to dwell with her, let her not leave [her] husband.
14For the husband who has not faith is made holy through his Christian wife, and the wife who is not a Christian is made holy through the brother: if not, your children would be unholy, but now are they holy.
14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother; since [otherwise] indeed your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
15But if the one who is not a Christian has a desire to go away, let it be so: the brother or the sister in such a position is not forced to do one thing or the other: but it is God's pleasure that we may be at peace with one another.
15But if the unbeliever go away, let them go away; a brother or a sister is not bound in such [cases], butGod has called us in peace.
16For how may you be certain, O wife, that you will not be the cause of salvation to your husband? or you, O husband, that you may not do the same for your wife?
16For what knowest thou, O wife, if thou shalt save thy husband? or what knowest thou, O husband, if thou shalt save thy wife?
17Only, as the Lord has given to a man, and as is the purpose of God for him, so let him go on living. And these are my orders for all the churches.
17However, as the Lord has divided to each, asGod has called each, so let him walk; and thus I ordain in all the assemblies.
18If any man who is a Christian has had circumcision, let him keep so; and if any man who is a Christian has not had circumcision, let him make no change.
18Has any one been called circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised: has any one been called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
19Circumcision is nothing, and its opposite is nothing, but only doing the orders of God is of value.
19Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but keepingGod's commandments.
20Let every man keep the position in which he has been placed by God.
20Let each abide in that calling in which he has been called.
21If you were a servant when you became a Christian, let it not be a grief to you; but if you have a chance to become free, make use of it.
21Hast thou been called [being] a bondman, let it not concern thee; but and if thou canst become free, use [it] rather.
22For he who was a servant when he became a Christian is the Lord's free man; and he who was free when he became a Christian is the Lord's servant.
22For the bondman that is called in [the] Lord is the Lord's freedman; in like manner [also] the freeman being called is Christ's bondman.
23It is the Lord who has made payment for you: be not servants of men.
23Ye have been bought with a price; do not be the bondmen of men.
24My brothers, let every man keep in that condition which is the purpose of God for him.
24Let each, wherein he is called, brethren, therein abide withGod.
25Now about virgins I have no orders from the Lord: but I give my opinion as one to whom the Lord has given mercy to be true to him.
25But concerning virgins, I have no commandment of [the] Lord; but I give my opinion, as having received mercy of [the] Lord to be faithful.
26In my opinion then, because of the present trouble, it is good for a man to keep as he is.
26I think then that this is good, on account of the present necessity, that [it is] good for a man to remain so as he is.
27If you are married to a wife, make no attempt to get free from her: if you are free from a wife, do not take a wife.
27Art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; art thou free from a wife? do not seek a wife.
28If you get married it is not a sin; and if an unmarried woman gets married it is not a sin. But those who do so will have trouble in the flesh. But I will not be hard on you.
28But if thou shouldest also marry, thou hast not sinned; and if the virgin marry, they have not sinned: but such shall have tribulation in the flesh; but I spare you.
29But I say this, my brothers, the time is short; and from now it will be wise for those who have wives to be as if they had them not;
29But this I say, brethren, the time is straitened. For the rest, that they who have wives, be as not having [any]:
30And for those who are in sorrow, to give no signs of it; and for those who are glad, to give no signs of joy; and for those who are getting property, to be as if they had nothing;
30and they that weep, as not weeping; and they that rejoice, as not rejoicing; and they that buy, as not possessing;
31And for those who make use of the world, not to be using it fully; for this world's way of life will quickly come to an end.
31and they that use the world, as not disposing of it as their own; for the fashion of this world passes.
32But it is my desire for you to be free from cares. The unmarried man gives his mind to the things of the Lord, how he may give pleasure to the Lord:
32But I wish you to be without care. The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;
33But the married man gives his attention to the things of this world, how he may give pleasure to his wife.
33but he that has married cares for the things of the world, how he shall please his wife.
34And the wife is not the same as the virgin. The virgin gives her mind to the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in body and in spirit: but the married woman takes thought for the things of the world, how she may give pleasure to her husband.
34There is a difference between the wife and the virgin. The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but she that has married cares for the things of the world, how she shall please her husband.
35Now I say this for your profit; not to make things hard for you, but because of what is right, and so that you may be able to give all your attention to the things of the Lord.
35But I say this for your own profit; not that I may set a snare before you, but for what [is] seemly, and waiting on the Lord without distraction.
36But if, in any man's opinion, he is not doing what is right for his virgin, if she is past her best years, and there is need for it, let him do what seems right to him; it is no sin; let them be married.
36But if any one think that he behaves unseemly to his virginity, if he be beyond the flower of his age, and so it must be, let him do what he will, he does not sin: let them marry.
37But the man who is strong in mind and purpose, who is not forced but has control over his desires, does well if he comes to the decision to keep her a virgin.
37But he who stands firm in his heart, having no need, but has authority over his own will, and has judged this in his heart to keep his own virginity, he does well.
38So then, he who gets married to his virgin does well, and he who keeps her unmarried does better.
38So that he that marries himself does well; and he that does not marry does better.
39It is right for a wife to be with her husband as long as he is living; but when her husband is dead, she is free to be married to another; but only to a Christian.
39A wife is bound for whatever time her husband lives; but if the husband be fallen asleep, she is free to be married to whom she will, only in [the] Lord.