6 I say this only to give you permission to be separated for a time. It is not a rule.
7 I wish everyone could be like me. But God has given each person a different ability. He makes some able to live one way, others to live a different way.
8 Now for those who are not married and for the widows I say this: It is good for you to stay single like me.
9 But if you cannot control your body, then you should marry. It is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.
10 Now, I have a command for those who are married. Actually, it is not from me; it is what the Lord commanded. A wife should not leave her husband.
11 But if a wife does leave, she should remain single or get back together with her husband. And a husband should not divorce his wife.
12 The advice I have for the others is from me. The Lord did not give us any teaching about this. If you have a wife who is not a believer, you should not divorce her if she will continue to live with you.