Instructions for Christian Households(A)

21 Submit to one another(B) out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands(C) as you do to the Lord.(D) 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,(E) his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands(F) in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives,(G) just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her(H) 26 to make her holy,(I) cleansing[a] her by the washing(J) with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself(K) as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.(L) 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives(M) as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.(N) 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[b](O) 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife(P) as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
  2. Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24

21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

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