Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

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But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.

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But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

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.

I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.

But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

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I say this as a concession, not as a command.(A) I wish that all of you were as I am.(B) But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.(C)

Now to the unmarried[a] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.(D) But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry,(E) for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 7:8 Or widowers