21. Art thou called being a slave? care not for it; but if thou may be made free, use it rather.
22. For he that is called in the Lord, being a slave, is the Lord’s freeman; likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s slave.
23. Ye are bought with a price; do not make yourselves the slaves of men.
24. Each one, brothers, in that state in which he was called, let him abide with God.
25. Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord, yet I give my advice, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
26. I hold, therefore, this to be good because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to be thus:
27. Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.
28. But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have affliction in the flesh, but I forbear you.
29. But this I say, brothers, the time is short; for the rest, let those that have wives be as though they had none;
30. and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they possessed not;