²⁴ Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.^(A)

³ Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?”^{(A) 4} He answered, “Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’^{(B) 5} and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?^{(C) 6} So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” ⁷ They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?”^{(D) 8} He said to them, “It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹ And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”^[a](E)

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](A) 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.”^(B)

⁶ But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’^{(A) 7} ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,^{[a](B) 8} and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.^{(C) 9} Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

¹⁰ Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her,^{(D) 12} and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

² Thus a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives, but if her husband dies, she is discharged from the law concerning the husband.^(A)

¹⁶ Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, “The two shall be one flesh.”^{(A) 17} But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.^(B)

Wives and Husbands

3 Wives, in the same way, be subject to your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct,^{(A) 2} when they see the purity and respect of your conduct. ³ Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing;^{(B) 4} rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight.^{(C) 5} It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by being subject to their husbands. ⁶ Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good and never let fears alarm you.^(D)

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.^(E)

¹⁴ You ask, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was a witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.^{(A) 15} Did God^[a] not make them one, flesh with spirit in it? And what does the one desire? Godly offspring. So look to yourselves, and do not let anyone be faithless to the wife of his youth.^{[b](B) 16} For I hate^[c] divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel, and covering one’s garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless.

¹⁰ To the married I give this command—not I but the Lord—that the wife should not separate from her husband^{(A) 11} (but if she does separate, let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband) and that the husband should not divorce his wife.