Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2
Nevertheless*, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4
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.
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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.
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But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
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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.
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I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
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But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
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And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
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Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
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Art thou called being a servant? care* not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
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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.
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Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
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Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein* abide with God.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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;
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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;
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And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
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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:
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But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.
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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
But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.
1 [A Psalm of David.] Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
