7:25 論到童身的人，我沒有主的命令，但我既蒙主憐恤能作忠心的人，就把自己的意見告訴你們。
7:26 因現今的艱難，據我看來，人不如守素安常才好。
7:27 你有妻子纏著呢，就不要求脫離；你沒有妻子纏著呢，就不要求妻子。
7:28 你若娶妻，並不是犯罪；處女若出嫁，也不是犯罪。然而這等人肉身必受苦難，我卻願意你們免這苦難。
7:29 弟兄們，我對你們說：時候減少了。從此以後，那有妻子的，要像沒有妻子；
7:30 哀哭的，要像不哀哭；快樂的，要像不快樂；置買的，要像無有所得；
7:31 用世物的，要像不用世物，因為這世界的樣子將要過去了。
7:32 我願你們無所掛慮。沒有娶妻的，是為主的事掛慮，想怎樣叫主喜悅。
7:33 娶了妻的，是為世上的事掛慮，想怎樣叫妻子喜悅。
7:34 婦人和處女也有分別。沒有出嫁的，是為主的事掛慮，要身體、靈魂都聖潔；已經出嫁的，是為世上的事掛慮，想怎樣叫丈夫喜悅。
7:35 我說這話是為你們的益處，不是要牢籠你們，乃是要叫你們行合宜的事，得以殷勤服事主，沒有分心的事。
7:36 若有人以為自己待他的女兒不合宜，女兒也過了年歲，事又當行，他就可隨意辦理，不算有罪，叫二人成親就是了。
7:37 倘若人心裡堅定，沒有不得已的事，並且由得自己作主，心裡又決定了留下女兒不出嫁，如此行也好。
7:38 這樣看來，叫自己的女兒出嫁是好，不叫她出嫁更是好。
7:39 丈夫活著的時候，妻子是被約束的；丈夫若死了，妻子就可以自由，隨意再嫁，只是要嫁這在主裡面的人。
7:40 然而按我的意見，若常守節更有福氣。我也想自己是被上帝的靈感動了。
25 Now
about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one
who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 Because of the
present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 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. 28 But if you do marry, you
have not sinned; 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. 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.
32 I
would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the
Lord’s affairs—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.
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 devotion to
the Lord.
36 If
anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is
engaged to, and if his passions are too strong[b] and he
feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They
should get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter
in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will,
and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the
right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right,
but he who does not marry her does better.[c]
39 A
woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she
is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40 In
my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have
the Spirit of God.
*************
這也是生活性的教導。
