Instructions about Head Coverings

Now I praise you[a] because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions(A) just as I delivered(B) them to you. But I want you to know that Christ is the head(C) of every man, and the man is the head of the woman,[b](D) and God is the head of Christ.(E) Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors(F) his head. Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved.(G) For if a woman doesn’t cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her head be covered.

A man should not cover his head, because he is the image(H) and glory of God.(I) So too, woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man.(J) Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man. 10 This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

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Footnotes

  1. 11:2 Other mss add brothers,
  2. 11:3 Or the husband is the head of the wife

Appropriate dress in worship

I praise you because you remember all my instructions, and you hold on to the traditions exactly as I handed them on to you. Now I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered shames his head. Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head. It is the same thing as having her head shaved. If a woman doesn’t cover her head, then she should have her hair cut off. If it is disgraceful for a woman to have short hair or to be shaved, then she should keep her head covered. A man shouldn’t have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is man’s glory. Man didn’t have his origin from woman, but woman from man; and man wasn’t created for the sake of the woman, but the woman for the sake of the man. 10 Because of this a woman should have authority over her head, because of the angels.

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