1 Corinthians · Chapter 7

[ edit] Forſoþe of whiche þingis ȝe han writun to me, it is good to a man for to touche not a womman. Soþli for fornycacioun ech man haue his owne wyf, and ech womman haue hir hoſebonde. Þe hoſebonde ȝelde dette to þe wyf, alſo ſoþli and þe wyf to þe hoſebonde. Þe womman haþ not power of hir body, but þe hoſebonde; alſo forſoþ þe hoſebonde haþ not power of his body, but þe womman. Nyle ȝe defraude to gidere, no but perauenture of conſent to a tyme, þat ȝe ȝyue tent to preier; and eft turne ȝe aȝen in to þe ſame þing, leſt Saþanas tempte ȝou for ȝoure incontynence. Forſoþ I ſeye þis þing vp indulgence, or forȝyueneſſe, not vp comaundement. Soþli I wole alle men for to be as mi ſilf.

But ech man haþ his propre ȝifte of God; ſoþli anoþer þus, but anoþer þus. Forſoþ to not weddid and widewis, it is good to hem, if þei dwellen ſo as and I. For if þei conteynen not hem ſilf, or ben not chaſt, weddid be þei; forſoþ it is bettere for to be weddid, þan for to be brent. Forſoþ to hem þat ben ioyned in matrymonye, I comaunde, not I, but þe Lord, þe wyf for to not departe fro þe hoſebonde; for if ſche ſchal departe, for to dwell vnweddid, or for to be reconſilid, or acordid, to hir hoſebonde; and þe hoſebonde forſake not þe wyf. Forwhi to oþere I ſeye, not þe Lord.

If ony broþir haue an vnfeiþful, or heþen, wyf, and ſche conſentiþ for to dwelle wiþ hym, leue he, or forſake, hir not. And if þe womman haþ an hoſebonde vnfeiþful, and þis conſentiþ for to dwelle wiþ hir, leeue ſhe not þe hoſebonde. Forſoþ þe vnfeiþful hoſebonde is halowid by þe feiþful womman, and þe vnfeiþful womman is halowid by þe feiþful hoſebonde. Ellis ȝoure children weren vnclene, now forſoþ þei ben hooly. Þat if þe vnfeiþful departiþ, departe he. Forſoþ þe broþir or ſiſtir is not ſuget to ſeruage in ſuche; forſoþ God clepiþ vs in pees. Soþli wherof woſt þou, womman, if þou ſchalt make þe man ſaaf; or wherof woſt þou, man, if þou ſchalt make þe womman ſaaf?

No but as þe Lord haþ departid to ech, as God haþ clepid ech man, and ſo go, he and as I teche in alle chirchis. Sum man circumſidid is clepid, brynge he not to prepucie. Sum man is clepid in prepucie, be he not circumſidid. Circumciſioun is noȝt, and prepucie is nouȝt, but þe kepinge of comaundementis of God. Ech man in what clepyng he is clepid, in þat dwelle he. Þou ſeruaunt ert clepid, be it not to charge to þee; but if þou maiſt be fre, more vſe þou. He þat in þe Lord is clepid ſeruaunt, is fre man of þe Lord. Alſo and he þat fre man is clepid, is þe ſeruaunt of Criſt. Wiþ prys ȝe ben bouȝt; nyle ȝe be maad ſeruauntis of men.

Ech man þerfor in what clepinge he is clepid, in þat dwelle he anentis God. Forſoþ of virgyns I haue not precept of God; ſoþli I ȝyue counceil, as hauynge mercy of þe Lord, þat I be trewe. Þerfor I geſſe, or deme, þis þing for to be good for preſent nede; for it is good to a man for to be ſo. Þou art boundyn to a wyf, nyle þou ſeke vnbyndyng; þou ert vnboundyn fro a wyf, nyle þou ſeke a wyf. Forſoþ if þou haſt taken a wyf, þou haſt not ſynned; and if a mayden be weddid, ſhe ſynned not; neþelees ſuche ſchulen haue tribulacioun of fleiſch. Forſoþ I ſpare ȝou. And ſo, briþeren, I ſeye þis þing, Þe tyme is ſchort.

Þe toþir þing is, þat and þei þat han wyues, be as not hauynge; and þei þat wepen, as not wepynge; and þei þat ioyen, as not ioyinge; and þei þat byen, as not hauynge; and þei þat vſen þis world, as þei þat vſen not. Forſoþ þe figure of þis world paſſiþ. Forſoþe I wole ȝou for to be wiþoute biſyneſſe. Soþli he þat is wiþoute wyf is byſy what þingis ben of þe Lord, how he ſchal pleſe to God. Forſoþ he þat is wiþ a wyf, is biſy what þingis ben of þe world, how he ſchal pleſe þe wyf, and he is departid. And a womman vnweddid and mayden þenkiþ what þingis ben of þe Lord, þat ſche be hooly in body and ſpirit.

Forſoþ ſhe þat is weddid, þenkiþ what þingis ben of þe world, how ſche ſchal pleſe þe hoſebonde. Soþeli I ſeye þes þingis to ȝoure profyt, not þat I caſte to ȝou a ſnare, but to þat þat is honeſt, and ȝyueþ faculte, or eſyneſſe, wiþ oute letting for to biſeche to þe Lord. Soþli if ony deme him ſilf for to be ſeyn foul on his virgyne, þat ſhe is wel old, and ſo it bihoueþ for to be don, do ſhe þat ſhe wole; ſche ſynneþ not, if ſche be weddid. Forwhi he þat ordeynede ſtable, or ſtedefaſt, in his herte, not hauynge nede, but hauynge power of his wille, and haþ demyd in his herte þis þing, for to kepe his virgyn, doþ well.

Þerfor he þat ioyneþ his virgyn in matrimonye, doþ wel; and he þat ioyneþ not, doiþ bettere. Þe womman is boundyn to þe lawe, how moche tyme hir hoſebonde lyueþ; þat if hir hoſebonde ſchal ſlepe, þat is, die, ſche is delyuered fro þe lawe, be ſhe weddid to whom ſhe wole, oonly in þe Lord. Forſoþ ſche ſchal be more bleſſid, if ſche ſchal þus dwelle, aftir my counceil; forſoþ I wene, þat and I haue þe Spirit of God.