Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give  ¹my opinion as one who has been shown mercy by the Lord to be faithful.

I consider then that this is good because of the  ¹present  ²necessity, that it is good for a man to be as he is.

Have you been bound to a wife? Do not seek a release. Have you been released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if the virgin marries, she has not sinned; but such ones will have affliction in the flesh, and I am trying to spare you.

But this I say, brothers, the time is  ¹shortened. Henceforth both those who have wives should be as though they had none,

And those who weep as though they did not weep, and those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, and those who buy as though they did not possess,

And those who use the world as though they did not abuse it; for the fashion of this world is passing away.

But I desire you to be without care. The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

But he who has married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife,

And is  ¹distracted. Both the unmarried woman and the virgin care for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but she who has married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

But this I say for your own profit, not that I may  ¹put a noose upon you but that you may be comely and may wait on the Lord without distraction.

But if anyone thinks that he is behaving unbecomingly to his virgin daughter, if she is past the bloom of youth and thus it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let them marry.

But he who stands firm in his heart,  ¹being under no constraint, and has authority with respect to his own will and has  ²decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well.

So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

A wife is bound for so long a time as her husband lives; but should the husband fall asleep, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only to one in the Lord.

But she is  ¹more blessed if she so remains, according to my opinion; but I think that I  ²also have the Spirit of God.

 ¹Hallelujah!
 ²I will give thanks to Jehovah with all my heart
In the council of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the  ¹works of Jehovah,
And sought out by all who delight in them.

His work is majesty and splendor,
And His righteousness endures forever.

He has caused His wondrous deeds to be remembered;
Jehovah is gracious and compassionate.

He gives food to those who fear Him;
He remembers His covenant forever.

He has shown His people the power of His works
By giving them the heritage of the nations.

The works of His hands are truth and justice;
All His precepts are sure:

They are maintained forever and ever,
They are executed in truth and uprightness.

He has sent redemption to His people;
He has commanded His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name.

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom;
All who practice  ¹His precepts have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.

 ¹Hallelujah!
 ²Blessed is the man who fears Jehovah,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.

His seed will be mighty on the earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.

Light in the darkness arises to the upright;
They are gracious and compassionate and righteous.

It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He will maintain his cause in judgment.

For he will never be moved;
The righteous man will be remembered forever.

He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in Jehovah.

His heart is sustained, he is not afraid,
Until he sees what should happen to his adversaries.

He has scattered abroad; he has given to the needy;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.

The wicked man will see it and be angry;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked will perish.

 ¹Hallelujah!
Praise, you servants of Jehovah,
Praise the name of Jehovah.

Let the name of Jehovah be blessed,
From now and to eternity.

From the rising of the sun to its setting
The name of Jehovah is to be praised.

Jehovah is high above all the nations,
And His glory is above the heavens.

Who is like Jehovah our God,
Who has set His throne on high,

Who humbles Himself to behold
The heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust;
From the ash heap He lifts the needy;

That He may seat them with princes,
With the princes of His people.

He causes the barren woman to keep house
As a joyful mother of children.
Hallelujah.

When Israel went forth from Egypt,
The house of Jacob from among a people of unintelligible speech,

Judah became His sanctuary,
Israel, His dominion.

The sea saw and fled;
The Jordan turned back.

The mountains skipped like rams,
The hills, like lambs.

What troubles you, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?

O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?

Tremble at the presence of the Lord, O earth,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,

Who turns the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of water.

Not to us, O Jehovah, not to us,
But to Your name give glory,
For the sake of Your lovingkindness and Your  ¹truth.

Why should the nations say,
Where then is their God?

But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.

Their idols are mere silver and gold,
The work of human hands.

They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see.

They have ears, but they do not hear;
They have noses, but they do not smell.

They have hands, but they do not feel;
They have feet, but they do not walk;
They make no sound in their throat.

Those who make them,
All who trust in them,
Are  ¹like them.

O Israel, trust in Jehovah.
He is their help and their shield.

O house of Aaron, trust in Jehovah.
He is their help and their shield.

O you who fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah.
He is their help and their shield.

Jehovah has been mindful of us; He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron;

He will bless those who fear Jehovah,
Both small and great.

May Jehovah give you increase,
Both you and your children.

May you be blessed of Jehovah,
Maker of heaven and earth.

The heavens are the heavens of Jehovah,
But He has given the earth to the children of men.

The dead do not praise  ¹Jehovah,
Nor do any that go down into silence.

But we will bless Jehovah
From now and to eternity.
 ¹Hallelujah.

I love Jehovah because He hears
My voice, my supplications,

Because He inclines His ear to me;
Therefore I will call upon Him all my days.

The bonds of death encompassed me,
And the distresses of Sheol fell upon me;
I fell upon trouble and sorrow.

But I called upon the name of Jehovah.
O Jehovah, I pray, deliver my soul.

Jehovah is gracious and righteous,
Indeed our God is compassionate.

Jehovah preserves the simple:
I was brought low, and He saved me.

Return to your rest, O my soul;
For Jehovah has dealt bountifully with you.

For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
My feet from stumbling.

I will walk before Jehovah
In the  ¹land of the living.

I believed,  ¹therefore I spoke;
I was afflicted greatly.

I said in my haste,
All men are liars.

What shall I return to Jehovah
For all His benefits toward me?

I will take up the  ¹cup of salvation
And call upon the name of Jehovah.

I will pay my vows to Jehovah,
Oh, in the presence of all His people.

Precious in the sight of Jehovah
Is the death of His faithful ones.

O Jehovah!
Surely I am Your servant;
I am Your servant, the son of Your female servant;
You have loosed my bonds.

To You I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And I will call upon the name of Jehovah.

I will pay my vows to Jehovah,
Oh, in the presence of all His people,

In the courts of the house of Jehovah,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Hallelujah.

Praise Jehovah, all you nations;
Laud Him, all you peoples.

For His lovingkindness is great toward us,
And the faithfulness of Jehovah is forever.
 ¹Hallelujah.

Give  ¹thanks to Jehovah, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is forever.

Let Israel say,
His lovingkindness is forever.

Let the house of Aaron say,
His lovingkindness is forever.

Let those who fear Jehovah say,
His lovingkindness is forever.

Out of my distress I called upon  ¹Jehovah;
 ¹Jehovah answered me and set me in a place broad and free.

Jehovah is for me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

Jehovah is for me as my Helper,
And I will see what should happen to those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in Jehovah
Than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to trust in princes.

All nations surrounded me;
In the name of Jehovah I indeed cut them down!

They surrounded me; yes, they surrounded me;
In the name of Jehovah I indeed cut them down!

They surrounded me like bees;
They were extinguished like a fire of thorns;
In the name of Jehovah I indeed cut them down!

 ¹I was pushed hard that I might fall;
But Jehovah helped me.

Jehovah is my strength and my song,
And He has become my  ¹salvation.

The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous.
The right hand of Jehovah does valiantly;

The right hand of Jehovah is exalted;
The right hand of Jehovah does valiantly.

I will not die, but live,
And declare the works of Jehovah.

Jehovah has severely chastened me,
But He has not given me over to death.

Open to me the gates of righteousness:
I will enter in through them; I will give thanks to Jehovah.

This is the gate of Jehovah;
The righteous shall enter in through it.

I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me
And have become my salvation.

The  ¹stone which the  ¹builders rejected
Has become the  ²head of the corner.

This is from Jehovah;
It is wonderful in our sight.

This is the  ¹day that Jehovah has made;
Let us exult and rejoice in it.

O Jehovah,  ¹do save, we pray!
O Jehovah, do send  ²prosperity, we pray!

Blessed is He who  ¹comes in the name of Jehovah;
We bless you from the house of Jehovah.

Jehovah is God,
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice of the feast with cords
To the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I give thanks to You.
You are my God; I will exalt You.

Give thanks to Jehovah, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is forever.