Family Relations

^18 (A)Wives, ^(B)be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ^19 (C)Husbands, love your wives and do not become bitter against them. ^20 (D)Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing ^[a]to the Lord. ^21 (E)Fathers, do not ^[b]antagonize your children, so that they will not become discouraged.

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

Godly Living

3 ^(A)In the same way, you wives, ^(B)be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be ^(C)won over without a word by the behavior of their wives, ² as they observe your pure ^[a]and respectful behavior.

⁵ For in this way the holy women of former times, ^(A)who hoped in God, also used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands, ⁶ just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^(B)calling him lord; and you have proved to be her children if you do what is right ^[a](C)without being frightened by any fear.

Marriage like Christ and the Church

^22 (A)Wives, ^(B)subject yourselves to your own husbands, ^(C)as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(D)the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the ^(E)head of the church, He Himself ^(F)being the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

^25 (G)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and ^(H)gave Himself up for her, ^26 (I)so that He might sanctify her, having ^(J)cleansed her by the ^(K)washing of water with ^(L)the word, ²⁷ that He might ^(M)present to Himself the church ^[a]in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be ^(N)holy and blameless. ²⁸ So husbands also ought to ^(O)love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; ²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, ³⁰ because we are ^(P)parts of His ^(Q)body. ^31 (R)For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ³² This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to ^(S)love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she ^(T)respects her husband.

Children and Parents

6 ^(A)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ^2 (B)Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), ³ so that it may turn out well for you, and that you may live long on the earth.

^4 (C)Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but ^(D)bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.