14 Thou shall not have sex with someone who is not your spouse.
Leviticus 20:10 - And the man that commits adultery with another man's wife, even he that commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Proverbs 6:32 - But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding. He that does it destroys his own soul.
Overall, this is the most difficult commandment for many people to keep. Sex is a powerful force, and the desire to love and be loved is elemental.
But it is indispensable to maintaining civilization. Marriage is the basic building block of the family, and anything that threatens it is prohibited; adultery, not honoring mom and dad, incest.
Social stability is simply not possible without family. It is the place for passing values on to the next generation.
Men raised in a stable home are taught to be more responsible.
Women's needs for security are met.
And children are given a stable childhood, better preparing them for adult responsibility.
Adultery destroys marriage, even if it is consensual adultery. It divides loyalty and affection. It still harms the family unit.
Adultery produces out of marriage pregnancy, which automatically creates a child with no family to grow up in.
The adulterous partner lives a fraudulent life, and deception damages marriage.
Sex was created by God as an example of His desired relationship with His church, and as a reward for two people committing to the marital relationship, to family building, as well as a means of reproduction.
For this reason, sex is to be engaged in (joyfully) by a man and a woman who are married.
No one else.
The New Testament "Ups the Anti" It raises the standard. Lust is equal to adultery, as is divorce.
Matthew 5:28 “But I say to you, That whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
Luke 16:18 - Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery, and whoever marries her that is divorced from her husband commits adultery.
Matthew 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, "Thou shall not commit adultery."
28 But I say to you, That whoever shall divorce his wife, except for the cause of [the misuse of sex, adultery], causes her to commit adultery. And whoever shall marry her that is divorced commits adultery.
Romans 7:3 - So then if, while her husband lives, she is married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband is dead, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Mark 10:11-12 - And he said to them, Whoever shall divorce his wife, and marry another, commits adultery against her.
Galatians 5:19 - Now the works of the flesh are obvious. They are; Adultery, the misuse of sex*, moral impurity, seeking physical pleasures,
*Strongs Concordance: From porneuo (the root of our word "pornography.") harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively, idolatry -- fornication.
Other Translations:
King James Bible
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury,
Jesus again raised the bar. Not only can we not commit adultery, we can’t even lust after someone we are not married to! Just lusting after someone divides our loyalty, creates fraud and deception, and weakens the family structure.
(And a note about the victims of adultery: Paul tells us that someone who is divorced because their spouse committed adultery is free to remarry in the same way a widow is free. We call these "Grace Widow(er)s.")
GOD'S WORD® Translation
Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity,Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For the works of the flesh are known, which are fornication, impurity, whoredom,New Living Translation
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,Jesus again raised the bar. Not only can we not commit adultery, we can’t even lust after someone we are not married to! Just lusting after someone divides our loyalty, creates fraud and deception, and weakens the family structure.
(And a note about the victims of adultery: Paul tells us that someone who is divorced because their spouse committed adultery is free to remarry in the same way a widow is free. We call these "Grace Widow(er)s.")