Instructions for Christian Households^(A)

¹⁸ Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands,^(B) as is fitting in the Lord.

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

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives,^(E) just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her^{(F) 26} to make her holy,^(G) cleansing^[a] her by the washing^(H) with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself^(I) as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.^{(J) 28} In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives^(K) 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.^{(L) 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](M) 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^(N) as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.^{(O) 2} “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”^[c](P)

⁴ Fathers,^[d] do not exasperate your children;^(Q) instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.^(R)

⁵ Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect^(S) and fear, and with sincerity of heart,^(T) just as you would obey Christ.^{(U) 6} Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ,^(V) doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷ Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,^{(W) 8} because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do,^(X) whether they are slave or free.

⁹ And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours^(Y) is in heaven, and there is no favoritism^(Z) with him.

⁴ Then they can urge the younger women^(A) to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled^(B) and pure, to be busy at home,^(C) to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands,^(D) so that no one will malign the word of God.^(E)

³ But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,^(A) and the head of the woman is man,^[a](B) and the head of Christ is God.^(C)

3 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves^(A) to your own husbands^(B) so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over^(C) without words by the behavior of their wives, ² when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. ³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.^{(D) 4} Rather, it should be that of your inner self,^(E) the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.^{(F) 5} For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God^(G) used to adorn themselves.^(H) They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶ like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord.^(I) You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.