1 Corinthians 7:32

Amplified Bible

But I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I want you to be without concerns. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord.

King James Version (1611)
But I would haue you without carefulnesse. He that is vnmarried, careth for the things that belogeth to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

King James Version
But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

English Standard Version
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.

New American Standard Bible
But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

New Century Version
I want you to be free from worry. A man who is not married is busy with the Lord's work, trying to please the Lord.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

Legacy Standard Bible
But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.

Berean Standard Bible
I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
I want all of you to be free from worry. An unmarried man worries about how to please the Lord.

Complete Jewish Bible
What I want is for you to be free of concern. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's affairs,

Darby Translation
But I wish you to be without care. The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;

Easy-to-Read Version
I want you to be free from worry. A man who is not married is busy with the Lord's work. He is trying to please the Lord.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And I would haue you without care. The vnmaried careth for the things of the Lord, howe he may please the Lord.

George Lamsa Translation
Therefore I would that you were free from worldly cares. For he who is unmarried, is concerned in the things of his master, so as to please his master.

Good News Translation
I would like you to be free from worry. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's work, because he is trying to please the Lord.

Lexham English Bible
But I want you to be free from care. The unmarried person cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.

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

American Standard Version
But I would have you to be free from cares. He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

Bible in Basic English
But it is my desire for you to be free from cares. The unmarried man gives his mind to the things of the Lord, how he may give pleasure to the Lord:

Hebrew Names Version
But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

International Standard Version
I want you to be free from concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, that is, about how he can please the Lord.1 Timothy 5:5;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Wherefore I would that you be without anxiety; for he who hath not a wife thinketh of the things of his Lord, that so he may please his Lord;

Murdock Translation
And therefore I wish you to be without solicitude. For he who hath not a wife, considereth the thing of his Lord, how he may please his Lord.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I woulde haue you without care: He that is vnmaryed, careth for the thinges that belong to the Lorde, how he may please the Lorde:

English Revised Version
But I would have you to be free from cares. He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

World English Bible
But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
The unmarried man careth for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.

Weymouth's New Testament
And I would have you free from worldly anxiety. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's business--how he shall please the Lord;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But Y wole, that ye be without bisynesse, for he that is without wijf, is bisi what thingis ben of the Lord, hou he schal plese God.

Update Bible Version
But I would have you to be free from cares. He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

Webster's Bible Translation
But I would have you without anxious care. He that is unmarried, is anxious for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

New English Translation
And I want you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.

New King James Version
But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord.

New Living Translation
I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please him.

New Life Bible
I want you to be free from the cares of this world. The man who is not married can spend his time working for the Lord and pleasing Him.

New Revised Standard
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And I desire you to be, without anxiety: - the unmarried man, is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord: how he may please God.

Revised Standard Version
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
I wolde have you without care: the single man careth for the thinges of the lorde how he maye please the lorde.

Young's Literal Translation
And I wish you to be without anxiety; the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But I wolde that ye shulde be without care. He that is syngle, careth for the thinges of the LORDE,how he maye please the LORDE.

Mace New Testament (1729)
the unmarried is religiously concerned, how he may please the Lord:

THE MESSAGE
I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you're unmarried, you're free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse, leading to so many more demands on your attention. The time and energy that married people spend on caring for and nurturing each other, the unmarried can spend in becoming whole and holy instruments of God. I'm trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder. All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions.

Simplified Cowboy Version
I don't want you to worry all the time. A single cowboy only cares about riding for the Lord and doing the Lord's work.

Contextual Overview

²⁵Now concerning the virgins [of marriageable age] I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. ²⁶I think then that because of the impending distress [that is, the pressure of the current trouble], it is good for a man to remain as he is. ²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you unmarried? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸But if you do marry, you have not sinned [in doing so]; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned [in doing so]. Yet those [who marry] will have troubles (special challenges) in this life, and I am trying to spare you that. ²⁹But I say this, believers: the time has been shortened, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they did not; ³⁰and 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 [anything]; ³¹and those who use the world [taking advantage of its opportunities], as though they did not make full use of it. For the outward form of this world [its present social and material nature] is passing away. ³²But I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;³³but the married man is concerned about worldly things, how he may please his wife, ³⁴and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or the virgin is concerned about the matters of the Lord, how to be holy and set apart both in body and in spirit; but a married woman is concerned about worldly things, how she may please her husband.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I would: Psalms 55:22, Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 13:22, Philippians 4:6

He that: 1 Timothy 5:5

that belong to the Lord: Gr. of the Lord, as, 1 Corinthians 7:34

Reciprocal: Matthew 19:10 - General Matthew 19:12 - which have Luke 10:39 - which Luke 10:41 - thou Luke 12:22 - Take Romans 8:8 - please 1 Corinthians 7:8 - General 1 Corinthians 7:28 - Nevertheless 1 Corinthians 7:38 - doeth better

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But I would have you without carefulness,.... This is another reason, by which the apostle confirms the advice he gives to virgins to remain such, because the married state is full of cares, whereas the single life is no more free from them; and therefore he wishes them to continue in such a state, that they might be without anxious and distracting cares of temporal things, things relating to the good decorum and sustenance of a family, and so be more free and at leisure for the service of God; which he illustrates, by showing the different cares that married and unmarried persons are involved in:

he that is unmarried, careth for the things that belong to the Lord; such as hearing the word, reading it, meditating upon it, praying to God and attending upon all ordinances, taking every opportunity to glorify God, and do good to others; but this is not to be understood as matter of fact, that unmarried persons are so studiously concerned for these things, or that this is the case of all of them; there are many unmarried persons think nothing about them; and are not at all concerned with them; but the meaning is, that such persons are more at leisure, and can more conveniently attend to these things, and ought so to do; and they that have the grace of God will be more or less solicitous to observe them:

how he may please the Lord; for when these things are attended to in faith and fear, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God, the good of their own souls and others, they are well pleasing to the Lord; and though they are not meritorious of eternal life, yet they are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, and will be taken notice of with approbation, and followed with a reward of grace another day.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But I would have you - I would advise you to such a course of life as should leave you without carefulness My advice is regulated by that wish, and that wish guides me in giving it.

Without carefulness - (ἀμερίμνους amerimnous). Without anxiety, solicitude, care; without such a necessary attention to the things of this life as to take off your thoughts and affections from heavenly objects; see the notes on Matthew 6:25-31.

careth for the things that belong to the Lord - Margin, “The things of the Lord;” the things of religion. His attention is not distracted by the cares of this life; his time is not engrossed, and his affections alienated by an attendance on the concerns of a family, and especially by solicitude for them in times of trial and persecution. He can give his main attention to the things of religion. He is at leisure to give his chief thoughts and anxieties to the advancement of the Redeemer’s kingdom. Paul’s own example showed that this was the course which he preferred; and showed also that in some instances it was lawful and proper for a man to remain unmarried, and to give himself entirely to the work of the Lord. But the divine commandment Genesis 1:28, and the commendation everywhere bestowed upon marriage in the Scriptures, as well as the nature of the case, show that it was not designed that celibacy should be general.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 32. Without carefulness. — Though all these things will shortly come to pass, yet do not be anxious about them. Every occurrence is under the direction and management of God. The wrath of man shall praise him, and the remainder of it he shall restrain, and none can harm you if ye be followers of that which is good. We should all take the advice of the poet:-

"With patient mind thy course of duty run;

God nothing does, nor suffers to be done,

But thou wouldst do thyself, couldst thou but see

The end of all events as well as He." - BYROM.

He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord] He has nothing to do with a family, and therefore can give his whole time to the service of his Maker, having him alone to please.