¹⁶ The woman was very beautiful,^(A) a virgin;^(B) no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

² I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,^(A) to Christ, so that I might present you^(B) as a pure virgin to him.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives,^(A) just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her^{(B) 26} to make her holy,^(C) cleansing^[a] her by the washing^(D) with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself^(E) as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.^{(F) 28} In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives^(G) 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.^{(H) 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](I) 32} This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.