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Bible in Poetry: 1 Corinthians 7

Marriage:

1’Tis good for man, not to marry.
2 With so much immorality,
Each man should have his own, one wife,
And each woman, own, one husband.
3 The husband should fulfill to wife,
His marital duty always;
And likewise, wife to her husband.
4 Wife's body doesn’t belong to her
Alone, but to her husband too.
In the same way, husband's body
Does not belong to him alone
But also to his wife as well.
5 Do not deprive each other then,
Except by mutual consent and
For just sometime, so that you may
Devote yourselves to some prayer.
Then come again together for
As Satan will not tempt you for
Your lack of self-control in life.
6 I say this as a concession,
And this is not a command then.
7 I wish all men were as I am.
Each man has his own gift from God;
One has this gift, another, that.
8 Now to unmarried and widows:
’Tis good to stay unmarried too.
9 If they can’t control themselves then,
’Tis better they should get married
Than, burn with passion in your life.
10 Lord’s command to the married ones:
A wife must not separate from husband.
11 But if she does, she must stay unmarried,
Or else be reconciled to her husband.
A husband mustn’t divorce his wife.

12 To rest I say (I, not the Lord) :

If any brother has a wife,
Who isn’t a believer but then,
She is willing to live with him,
He must not divorce her, as yet.
13 And if a woman has husband,
Who isn’t a believer as yet,
But is willing to live with her,
She must not divorce him as well.
14 For the unbelieving husband
Has been sanctified through his wife,
And the unbelieving wife too,
Has been sanctified through husband.
If not, your children wouldn’t be clean,
But as it is, they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever leaves,
Then, let him do so anyway.
Believing man or woman is
Not bound in such circumstances;
For, God has called to live in peace.
16 How do you know, wife, whether you’ll
Save your husband anyway then?
Or, how do you know, husband then,
If you will save your wife surely?
17 Each one should hold the place in life
That Lord assigned to him on earth,
And to which the Lord has called him.
This rule I give to all churches.
18 Was man circumcised when he’as called?
He shouldn’t become uncircumcised.
Was man uncircumcised when called?
He should not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing then,
Uncircumcision is too naught.
To keep God's commands is what counts.
20 One should remain in situation,
In which he was, when God called him.
21 Were you a slave when you were called?
Don't let it trouble you at all—
If you can become free, do so.
22 For he who was a slave when called
By Lord is the Lord's freed man then;
Similarly, he who was free,
When he was called is slave of Christ.
23 For you were all bought at a price;
Do not become then slaves of men.
24 Each man, responsible to God,
Should stay in place, God called him to.

25 So now, something about virgins:

I have no command from the Lord,
I give a judgment as one who
By Lord's mercy is trustworthy.
26 Because of the present crisis,
’Tis good to remain as you are.
27 Are you married? Don’t seek divorce.
Are you unmarried? Don’t search spouse.
28 If you do marry, you haven’t sinned;
If virgin marries, she hasn’t sinned.
But those who marry, face troubles,
And I want you to escape this.
29 So what I mean is time is short.
From now onwards, those who have wives
Should live as if they didn’t have one.
30 And those who mourn, as if they didn’t;
And those happy, as if they weren’t;
And those who buy, as if it were not theirs;
31 And those who use the things of world,
As if they weren’t engrossed in them.
This world today is passing out.
32 Be free from concern anyway.
An unmarried man thinks of Lord's affairs—
How much more he can please the Lord.
33 A married man thinks of affairs of world—
How he can please his wife only—
34 His interests are divided.
An unmarried woman, virgin
Is concerned of the Lord's affairs:
She aims to devote to the Lord
In both her body and spirit.
A married woman is concerned
About the affairs of this world—
How she can please her husband then.
35 I’m saying this for your own good,
Not restrict you, but make you live
In total devotion to Lord.
36 If one thinks that he is acting
Improperly to the virgin,
He has been engaged to ahead,
And she is getting old in years,
And he feels that he must marry,
He should do as he wishes then.
He doesn’t sin. They should get married.
37 But man who has settled then well
The matter in his mind clearly,
And is under no compulsion
But has control over his will,
And who has made up in his mind
Not to marry the virgin still—
This man is doing the right thing.
38 So, he who marries the virgin does right,
But he who doesn’t marry, does ev’n better.
39 As long as he lives, a woman,
Is bound to her husband alone.
But if her husband dies, she’s free
To marry one, she wishes to,
But he must belong to the Lord.
40 She’s happier if she stays as she is—
And I do think I too have God’s Spirit.

(7-12-2007)

poem by John Celes
Added by Poetry Lover
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