³³ but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife,

⁷ Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman—though the weaker vessel,^[a] they are joint heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers.^(A)

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

⁸ And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.^(A)

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, so that she may be holy and without blemish.^{(A) 28} In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hates his own flesh, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body.^{[a](B) 31} “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^{(C) 32} This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church. ³³ Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect^[b] her husband.

¹¹ to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you,^{(A) 12} so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one.^(B)

³ The husband should give to his wife what is due her and likewise the wife to her husband.^(A)

Do Not Worry

²² He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.

Nehemiah Deals with Oppression

5 Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish kin.^{(A) 2} For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many; we must get grain, so that we may eat and stay alive.” ³ There were also those who said, “We are having to pledge our fields, our vineyards, and our houses in order to get grain during the famine.” ⁴ And there were those who said, “We are having to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king’s tax.^{(B) 5} Now our flesh is the same as that of our kindred; our children are the same as their children; and yet we are forcing our sons and daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been ravished; we are powerless, and our fields and vineyards now belong to others.”^(C)

⁴ On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters,^{(A) 5} but to Hannah he gave a double portion^[a] because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.^{(B) 6} Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.^{(C) 7} So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. ⁸ Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”^(D)