sex before marriage

⁴May marriage be honorable in every way, and may the marriage bed be immaculate. For God will judge fornicators and adulterers.

¹Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ²But, because of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ³A husband should fulfill his obligation to his wife, and a wife should also act similarly toward her husband. ⁴It is not the wife, but the husband, who has power over her body. But, similarly also, it is not the husband, but the wife, who has power over his body. ⁵So, do not fail in your obligations to one another, except perhaps by consent, for a limited time, so that you may empty yourselves for prayer. And then, return together again, lest Satan tempt you by means of your abstinence. ⁶But I am saying this, neither as an indulgence, nor as a commandment.

¹⁸Flee from fornication. Every sin whatsoever that a man commits is outside of the body, but whoever fornicates, sins against his own body. ¹⁹Or do you not know that your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰For you have been bought at a great price. Glorify and carry God in your body.

¹⁶If a man has led astray a virgin not yet betrothed, and he has slept with her, he shall pay her dowry and have her as a wife.

⁸But I say to the unmarried and to widows: It is good for them, if they would remain as they are, just as I also am. ⁹But if they cannot restrain themselves, they should marry. For it is better to marry, than to be burned.

²⁴For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh.

³For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from fornication, ⁴that each one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, ⁵not in passions of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God, ⁶and that no one should overwhelm or circumvent his brother in business. For the Lord is the vindicator of all these things, just as we have preached and testified to you. ⁷For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification. ⁸And so, whoever despises these teachings, does not despise man, but God, who has even provided his Holy Spirit within us.

⁴Everyone who commits a sin, also commits iniquity. For sin is iniquity. ⁵And you know that he appeared in order that he might take away our sins. For in him there is no sin. ⁶Everyone who abides in him does not sin. For whoever sins has not seen him, and has not known him. ⁷Little sons, let no one deceive you. Whoever does justice is just, even as he also is just. ⁸Whoever commits sin is of the devil. For the devil sins from the beginning. For this reason, the Son of God appeared, so that he might eradicate the works of the devil. ⁹All those who have been born of God do not commit sin. For the offspring of God abides in them, and he is not able to sin, because he was born of God.

⁷And so, after many days, his mistress cast her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Sleep with me.” ⁸And without consenting at all to the wicked act, he said to her: “Behold, my lord has delivered all things to me, and he does not know what he has in his own house. ⁹Neither is there anything which is not in my power, or that he has not delivered to me, except you, for you are his wife. How then can I do this evil act and sin against my God?” ¹⁰With such words as these, throughout each day, the woman was pestering the young man, and he was refusing the adultery.

⁷Groom to Chorus: I bind you by oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the does and the stags of the open field, not to disturb or awaken the beloved, even for as long as she wills.