6. I say those things to you as my advice, not as a command.
7. I wish all of you were like me. But you each have your own gift from God. One has this gift. Another has that.
8. I speak to those who are not married. I also speak to widows. It is good for you to stay single like me.
9. But if you can't control yourselves, you should get married. It is better to get married than to burn with sexual longing.
10. I give a command to those who are married. It is a direct command from the Lord, not from me. A wife must not leave her husband.
11. But if she does, she must not get married again. Or she can go back to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
12. I also have something to say to everyone else. It is from me, not a direct command from the Lord. Suppose a brother has a wife who is not a believer. If she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.