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The Bible teaches that sex belongs inside marriage. Its main word for sex outside it is the Greek porneia, which the World English Bible renders as sexual immorality: forms of fornication and sexual immorality appear 40 times in 36 verses of the WEB. Paul tells the Thessalonians that God's will is that they abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3), and the writer of Hebrews says the marriage bed is to be kept undefiled (Hebrews 13:4). The Bible also speaks of sex warmly inside marriage (Proverbs 5:18-19, Song of Solomon) and of full forgiveness for those who have failed (1 John 1:9, Romans 8:1, John 8:10-11). The verses below set out both the standard and the grace.
Counts from this page's curated collection (18 books of Scripture).
"Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers."
"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."
"For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God;"
"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:"
"that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you."
"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit."
"Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."
"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."
"Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom. Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God."
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
"But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband."
"Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband."
"But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am. But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn."
"I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn."
"Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom."
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
"But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints;"
"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;"
"Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience."
"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:"
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies."
"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:"
"He answered, “Haven’t you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?’ So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.”"
"And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
"Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh."
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
“If a man entices a virgin who isn’t pledged to be married, and lies with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.
"And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins."
"If a man finds a lady who is a virgin, who is not pledged to be married, grabs her, and lies with her, and they are found; then the man who lay with her shall give to the lady’s father fifty shekels of silver. She shall be his wife, because he has humbled her. He may not put her away all his days."
"If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days."
"I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires."
"I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please."
"I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires."
"I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please."
"Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; for love is strong as death. Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a very flame of Yahweh. Many waters can’t quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned."
"Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned."
"Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe and a graceful deer— let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love."
"Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love."
"Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
"No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
"Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”"
"When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
"Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me."
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
“Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible and the King James Version (both public domain), checked word for word against the full text. Updated October 3, 2026.
Continue exploring similar Bible verse collections
Yes, as most Christians read it. The New Testament condemns sexual immorality (porneia) repeatedly and lists it among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19), and Paul tells unmarried people who cannot control themselves to marry (1 Corinthians 7:8-9). No verse uses the phrase premarital sex, so the teaching rests on these passages about sexual immorality and on the Bible's picture of sex within marriage (Genesis 2:24, Hebrews 13:4).
Fornication is the older English word for sexual immorality. The WEB uses sexual immorality, the KJV uses fornication. Together they appear in Matthew 15:19, 1 Corinthians 6:18, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3, among others. Paul says to flee it, because it is a sin against one's own body (1 Corinthians 6:18).
Yes. John writes that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us (1 John 1:9), and Paul tells the Corinthians that some of them had lived in sexual immorality and had been washed, sanctified and justified (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Jesus told the woman caught in adultery that he did not condemn her, and to go and sin no more (John 8:10-11).
Three times the beloved says not to awaken love until it pleases (Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4). Many readers take this as a call to let love ripen in its time. The book's other message is that love and desire inside a committed relationship are good, strong as death, and not for sale (Song of Solomon 8:6-7).
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