22-24 Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

25-28 Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.

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24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands(A) in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives,(B) just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her(C) 26 to make her holy,(D) cleansing[a] her by the washing(E) with water through the word,

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed