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Nowconcerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a mannot to touch a woman.
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Nevertheless*, to avoid fornication,let every manhave his ownwife,andlet every womanhave her ownhusband.
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Let the husbandrender unto the wifeduebenevolence:andlikewisealso the wife unto the husband.
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The wifehathnotpower of her ownbody,but the husband:andlikewisealso the husbandhathnotpower of his ownbody,but the wife.
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Defraud yenot one the other,exceptitbewithconsentfor a time,that ye may give yourselves to fastingandprayer;andcometogether*again,thatSatantemptyounotforyourincontinency.
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But I speakthisbypermission, and notofcommandment.
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For I would that allmenwereevenas I myself.But every manhath his propergiftofGod,oneafter this manner,andanother after that.
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I saytherefore to the unmarriedandwidows, It isgood for themif they abideevenasI.
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Butiftheycannotcontain, let them marry: for it isbetter to marrythan to burn.
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And unto the married I command, yet notI,but the Lord,Letnot the wifedepartfrom her husband:
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Butandif she depart, let her remainunmarried,or be reconciled to her husband:andletnot the husband put away his wife.
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But to the restspeakI,not the Lord: If anybrotherhath a wife that believeth not,andshe be pleased to dwellwithhim, let himnotputheraway.
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And the womanwhichhath an husband that believeth not,and if he be pleased to dwellwithher, let hernotleavehim.
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For the unbelievinghusband is sanctifiedby the wife,and the unbelievingwife is sanctifiedby the husband:else*wereyourchildrenunclean;butnow are theyholy.
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Butif the unbelievingdepart, let him depart. A brotheror a sisterisnot under bondageinsuch cases: butGod hath calledustopeace.[a]
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Forwhat knowest thou, O wife,whether thou shalt save thy husband?orhow[b] knowest thou, O man,whether thou shalt save thy wife?
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ButasGod hath distributed to every man,as the Lord hath called every one,so let him walk. Andso ordain Iinallchurches.
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Is any mancalled being circumcised? let himnot become uncircumcised. Isanycalledinuncircumcision? let himnot be circumcised.
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Circumcisionisnothing,anduncircumcisionisnothing,but the keeping of the commandments of God.
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Let every manabidein the samecallingwhereinhe was called.
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Art thou called being a servant?care*not for it: butif thou mayest be madefree,use it rather.
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For he that is calledin the Lord, being a servant,is the Lord'sfreeman:[c]likewisealso he that is called, being free,isChrist'sservant.
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Ye are bought with a price;benotye the servants of men.
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Brethren,let every man,whereinhe is called, therein*abidewithGod.
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Nowconcerningvirgins I havenocommandment of the Lord:yet I give my judgment,as one that hath obtained mercyof the Lord to befaithful.
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I supposetherefore that thisisgoodfor the presentdistress,[d] I say, that it is good for a manso to be.
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Art thou bound unto a wife?seeknot to be loosed. Art thou loosedfrom a wife?seeknot a wife.
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Butandif thou marry, thou hastnotsinned; andif a virginmarry, she hathnotsinned. Neverthelesssuch shall havetrouble in the flesh:butIspareyou.
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Butthis I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth*, thatboth they that havewivesbe as though they hadnone;
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And they that weep, as though they weptnot;and they that rejoice, as though they rejoicednot;and they that buy, as though they possessednot;
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And they that usethisworld,asnotabusing it: for the fashion of thisworld passeth away.
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But I would have*you without carefulness. He that is unmarriedcareth for the things that belong to the Lord,how he may please the Lord:
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But he that is marriedcareth for the things that are of the world,how he may please his wife.
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There is difference also between a wifeand a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord,that she may beholyboth in bodyand in spirit:but she that is marriedcareth for the things of the world,how she may please her husband.
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Andthis I speakforyourownprofit; notthat 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 manthink that he behaveth himself uncomelytowardhisvirgin,if she pass the flower of her age*, andneedsorequire, let him dowhat he will, he sinnethnot: let them marry.
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Neverthelesshe that standethstedfastin his heart,havingnonecessity,buthathpowerover his ownwill,andhathsodecreedinhisheart that he will keephisvirgin,doethwell.
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Sothen he that giveth her in marriagedoethwell;but he that giveth hernot in marriagedoethbetter.
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The wife is bound by the lawaslongasherhusbandliveth; butifherhusband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; onlyin the Lord.
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But she ishappierifshesoabide, aftermyjudgment:and I thinkalso that I have the Spirit of God.