18. Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.
19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20. Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.
21. Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.
22. For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Messiah’s bondservant.
23. You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.
24. Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.
25. Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.
26. Therefore I think that because of the distress that is on us, that it’s good for a man to remain as he is.
27. Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife.
28. But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to spare you.
29. But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;
30. and those who weep, as though they didn’t weep; and those who rejoice, as though they didn’t rejoice; and those who buy, as though they didn’t possess;