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1 Corinthians 7:8-9
New King James Version
1 Corinthians 7:8-9
New King James Version
8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: (A)It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but (B)if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
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1 Corinthians 7:8-9
New American Standard Bible
1 Corinthians 7:8-9
New American Standard Bible
8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is (A)good for them if they remain (B)even as I. 9 But if they do not have self-control, (C)let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
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1 Corinthians 7:8-9
Amplified Bible
1 Corinthians 7:8-9
Amplified Bible
8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, [that as a practical matter] it is good if they remain [single and entirely devoted to the Lord] [a]as I am. 9 But if they do not have [sufficient] self-control, they should marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
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- 1 Corinthians 7:8 Some scholars believe Paul may have been a widower.
1 Corinthians 7:8-9
New International Version
1 Corinthians 7:8-9
New International Version
8 Now to the unmarried[a] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.(A) 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry,(B) for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 7:8 Or widowers
1 Corinthians 7:8-9
King James Version
1 Corinthians 7:8-9
King James Version
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.
9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
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1 Corinthians 7:24-35
New King James Version
1 Corinthians 7:24-35
New King James Version
24 Brethren, let each one remain with (A)God in that state in which he was called.
To the Unmarried and Widows
25 Now concerning virgins: (B)I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one (C)whom the Lord in His mercy has made (D)trustworthy. 26 I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—(E)that it is good for a man to remain as he is: 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.
29 But (F)this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, 30 those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, 31 and those who use this world as not (G)misusing it. For (H)the form of this world is passing away.
32 But I want you to be without [a]care. (I)He who is unmarried [b]cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. 33 But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. 34 There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman (J)cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. 35 And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.
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- 1 Corinthians 7:32 concern
- 1 Corinthians 7:32 is concerned about
1 Corinthians 7:24-35
New American Standard Bible
1 Corinthians 7:24-35
New American Standard Bible
24 Brothers and sisters, (A)each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.
25 Now concerning virgins, I have (B)no command of the Lord, but I am offering direction as one who [a](C)by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. 26 I think, then, that this is good in view of the [b]present (D)distress, that (E)it is good for a man [c]to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such people as yourselves will have [d]trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. 29 But this I say, brothers, (F)the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; 30 and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; 31 and those who use the world, as though they did not (G)make full use of it; for (H)the present form of this world is passing away.
32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is (I)unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but [e]to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
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- 1 Corinthians 7:25 Lit has been shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy
- 1 Corinthians 7:26 Or impending
- 1 Corinthians 7:26 Lit so to be
- 1 Corinthians 7:28 Lit tribulation in the flesh
- 1 Corinthians 7:35 Lit for what is seemly
1 Corinthians 7:24-35
Amplified Bible
1 Corinthians 7:24-35
Amplified Bible
24 Brothers, let each one remain with God in that condition in which he was [when he was] called.
25 Now concerning the virgins [of marriageable age] I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 I think then that because of the impending distress [that is, the pressure of the current trouble], it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you [a]unmarried? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned [in doing so]; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned [in doing so]. Yet those [who marry] will have troubles (special challenges) in this life, and I am trying to spare you that. 29 But I say this, believers: the [b]time has been shortened, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they did not; 30 and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess [anything]; 31 and those who use the world [taking advantage of its opportunities], as though they did not make full use of it. For the outward form of this world [its present social and material nature] is passing away.
32 But I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but the married man is concerned about worldly things, how he may please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or the virgin is concerned about the matters of the Lord, how to be holy and set apart both in body and in spirit; but a married woman is concerned about worldly things, how she may please her husband. 35 Now I say this for your own benefit; not to restrict you, but to promote what is appropriate and secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
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- 1 Corinthians 7:27 Lit released from a wife.
- 1 Corinthians 7:29 Paul may be referring to the appointed time of the return of Christ, or he may have been focusing on the briefness of human life, or both of these.
1 Corinthians 7:24-35
New International Version
1 Corinthians 7:24-35
New International Version
24 Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.(A)
Concerning the Unmarried
25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord,(B) but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy(C) is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is.(D) 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife.(E) 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned;(F) 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.
29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short.(G) From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those 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; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.(H)
32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs(I)—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and 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.(J) But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided(K) devotion to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:24-35
King James Version
1 Corinthians 7:24-35
King James Version
24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
25 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 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
28 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 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
30 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 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
32 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 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 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 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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New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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Amplified Bible (AMP)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.