1 WYC But of thilke thingis that ye han write to me, it is good to a man to touche not a womman. BSB BSB: Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good to abstain from sexual relations.
2 WYC But for fornycacioun eche man haue his owne wijf, and ech womman haue hir owne hosebonde. BSB BSB: But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
3 WYC The hosebonde yelde dette to the wijf, and also the wijf to the hosebonde. BSB BSB: The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 WYC The womman hath not power of hir bodi, but the hosebonde; and the hosebonde hath not power of his bodi, but the womman. BSB BSB: The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife.
5 WYC Nyle ye defraude eche to othere, but perauenture of consent to a tyme, that ye yyue tent to preier; and eft turne ye ayen to the same thing, lest Sathanas tempte you for youre vncontynence. BSB BSB: Do not deprive each other, except by mutual consent and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through your lack of self-control.
6 WYC But Y seie this thing as yyuyng leeue, not bi comaundement. BSB BSB: I say this as a concession, not as a command.
8 WYC But Y seie to hem, that ben not weddid, and to widewis, it is good to hem, if thei dwellen so as Y. BSB BSB: Now to the unmarried and widows I say this: It is good for them to remain unmarried, as I am.
9 WYC That if thei conteynen not hem silf, be thei weddid; for it is betere to be weddid, than to be brent. BSB BSB: But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 WYC But to hem that ben ioyned in matrymonye, Y comaunde, not Y, but the Lord, that the wijf departe not fro the hosebonde; BSB BSB: To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
11 WYC and that if sche departith, that sche dwelle vnweddid, or be recounselid to hir hosebonde; and the hosebonde forsake not the wijf. BSB BSB: But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
12 WYC But to othere Y seie, not the Lord. If ony brother hath an vnfeithful wijf, and sche consenteth to dwelle with hym, leeue he hir not. BSB BSB: To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
13 WYC And if ony womman hath an vnfeithful hosebonde, and this consentith to dwelle with hir, leeue sche not the hosebonde. BSB BSB: And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.
14 WYC For the vnfeithful hosebonde is halewid bi the feithful womman, and the vnfeithful womman is halewid bi the feithful hosebonde. Ellis youre children weren vncleene, but now thei ben hooli. BSB BSB: For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
15 WYC That if the vnfeithful departith, departe he. For whi the brother or sistir is not suget to seruage in siche; for God hath clepid vs in pees. BSB BSB: But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.
16 WYC And wherof wost thou, womman, if thou schalt make the man saaf; or wherof wost thou, man, if thou schalt make the womman saaf? BSB BSB: How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
17 WYC But as the Lord hath departid to ech, and as God hath clepid ech man, so go he, as Y teche in alle chirchis. BSB BSB: Regardless, each one should lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is what I prescribe in all the churches.
18 WYC A man circumcidid is clepid, brynge he not to the prepucie. A man is clepid in prepucie, be he not circumcidid. BSB BSB: Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man still uncircumcised when called? He should not be circumcised.
20 WYC Ech man in what clepyng he is clepid, in that dwelle he. BSB BSB: Each one should remain in the situation he was in when he was called.
21 WYC Thou seruaunt art clepid, be it no charge to thee; but if thou maist be fre, `the rather vse thou. BSB BSB: Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let it concern you—but if you can gain your freedom, take the opportunity.
22 WYC He that is a seruaunt, and is clepid in the Lord, is a freman of the Lord. Also he that is a freman, and is clepid, is the seruaunt of Crist. BSB BSB: For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman. Conversely, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave.
23 WYC With prijs ye ben bouyt; nyle ye be maad seruauntis of men. BSB BSB: You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
24 WYC Therfor ech man in what thing he is clepid a brothir, dwelle he in this anentis God. BSB BSB: Brothers, each one should remain in the situation he was in when God called him.
25 WYC But of virgyns Y haue no comaundement of God; but Y yyue counseil, as he that hath mercy of the Lord, that Y be trewe. BSB BSB: 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 WYC Therfor Y gesse, that this thing is good for the present nede; for it is good to a man to be so. BSB BSB: Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is.
27 WYC Thou art boundun to a wijf, nyle thou seke vnbyndyng; thou art vnboundun fro a wijf, nyle thou seke a wijf. BSB BSB: Are you committed to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you free of commitment? Do not look for a wife.
28 WYC But if thou hast takun a wijf, thou hast not synned; and if a maidun is weddid, sche synnede not; nethelesse siche schulen haue tribulacioun of fleisch. BSB BSB: But if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
29 WYC But Y spare you. Therfor, britheren, Y seie this thing, The tyme is schort. Another is this, that thei that han wyues, be as thouy thei hadden noon; BSB BSB: What I am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;
30 WYC and thei that wepen, as thei wepten not; and thei that ioien, as thei ioieden not; and thei that bien, as thei hadden not; BSB BSB: those who weep, as if they did not; those who are joyful, as if they were not; those who make a purchase, as if they had nothing;
31 WYC and thei that vsen this world, as thei that vsen not. For whi the figure of this world passith. BSB BSB: and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
32 WYC But Y wole, that ye be without bisynesse, for he that is without wijf, is bisi what thingis ben of the Lord, hou he schal plese God. BSB BSB: I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.
33 WYC But he that is with a wijf, is bysy what thingis ben of the world, hou he schal plese the wijf, and he is departid. BSB BSB: But the married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can please his wife,
34 WYC And a womman vnweddid and maidun thenkith what thingis ben of the Lord, that sche be hooli in bodi and spirit. But sche that is weddid, thenkith what thingis ben of the world, hou sche schal plese the hosebonde. BSB BSB: and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the work of the Lord, how she can be holy in both body and spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, how she can please her husband.
35 WYC And Y seie these thingis to youre profit, not that Y caste to you a snare, but to that that is onest, and that yyueth esynesse, with outen lettyng to make preieris to the Lord. BSB BSB: I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but in order to promote proper decorum and undivided devotion to the Lord.
36 WYC And if ony man gessith hym silf to be seyn foule on his virgyn, that sche is ful woxun, and so it bihoueth to be doon, do sche that that sche wole; sche synneth not, if sche be weddid. BSB BSB: However, if someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his betrothed, and if she is beyond her youth and they ought to marry, let him do as he wishes; he is not sinning; they should get married.
37 WYC For he that ordeynede stabli in his herte, not hauynge nede, but hauynge power of his wille, and hath demed in his herte this thing, to kepe his virgyn, doith wel. BSB BSB: But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well.
38 WYC Therfore he that ioyneth his virgyn in matrymonye, doith wel; and he that ioyneth not, doith betere. BSB BSB: So then, he who marries the virgin does well, but he who does not marry her does even better.
39 WYC The womman is boundun to the lawe, as longe tyme as hir hosebonde lyueth; and if hir hosebonde is deed, sche is delyuered fro the lawe of the hosebonde, be sche weddid to whom sche wole, oneli in the Lord. BSB BSB: A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.
40 WYC But sche schal be more blessid, if sche dwellith thus, aftir my counsel; and Y wene, that Y haue the Spirit of God. BSB BSB: In my judgment, however, she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.