The Fall

3 Now ^(A)the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You^[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, ³ but God said, ^(B)‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” ^4 (C)But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,^[b] she took of its fruit ^(D)and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, ^(E)and he ate. ^7 (F)Then the eyes of both were opened, ^(G)and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool^[c] of the day, and the man and his wife ^(H)hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”^{[d] 10} And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, ^(I)because I was naked, and I hid myself.” ¹¹ He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² The man said, ^(J)“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, ^(K)“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

¹⁴ The Lord God said to the serpent,

¹⁶ To the woman he said,

¹⁷ And to Adam he said,

²⁰ The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.^{[g] 21} And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

²² Then the Lord God said, ^(W)“Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand ^(X)and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” ²³ therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden ^(Y)to work the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the ^(Z)cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

³ But I want you to understand that ^(A)the head of every man is Christ, ^(B)the head of a wife^[a] is her husband,^[b] and ^(C)the head of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, ⁵ but every wife^[c] who prays or ^(D)prophesies ^(E)with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same ^(F)as if her head were shaven. ⁶ For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. ⁷ For a man ought not to cover his head, since ^(G)he is the image and glory of God, but ^(H)woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For ^(I)man was not made from woman, but woman from man. ⁹ Neither was man created for woman, but ^(J)woman for man. ¹⁰ That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.^{[d] 11} Nevertheless, ^(K)in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; ¹² for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And ^(L)all things are from God. ¹³ Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, ¹⁵ but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. ^16 (M)If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do ^(N)the churches of God.

³³ For God is not a God of ^(A)confusion but of peace.

As in ^(B)all the churches of the saints, ^34 (C)the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but ^(D)should be in submission, as ^(E)the Law also says. ³⁵ If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

³⁶ Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?

^28 (A)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave^[a] nor free, ^(B)there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Wives and Husbands

^22 (A)Wives, ^(B)submit to your own husbands, ^(C)as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(D)the husband is the head of the wife even as ^(E)Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is ^(F)himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit ^(G)in everything to their husbands.

^25 (H)Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and ^(I)gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ^(J)the washing of water ^(K)with the word, ²⁷ so ^(L)that he might present the church to himself in splendor, ^(M)without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.^{[a] 28} In the same way ^(N)husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because ^(O)we are members of his body. ^31 (P)“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and ^(Q)the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, ^(R)let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^(S)respects her husband.

Rules for Christian Households

^18 (A)Wives, submit to your husbands, as ^(B)is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and ^(C)do not be harsh with them.

¹¹ Let a woman learn quietly ^(A)with all submissiveness. ^12 (B)I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. ^13 (C)For Adam was formed first, ^(D)then Eve; ¹⁴ and Adam was not deceived, but ^(E)the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. ¹⁵ Yet she will be saved through ^(F)childbearing—if they continue in ^(G)faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

Wives and Husbands

3 Likewise, wives, ^(A)be subject to your own husbands, so that ^(B)even if some do not obey the word, ^(C)they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, ² when they see your ^(D)respectful and pure conduct. ^3 (E)Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— ⁴ but let your adorning be ^(F)the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. ⁵ For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, ⁶ as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^(G)calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and ^(H)do not fear anything that is frightening.

⁷ Likewise, ^(I)husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker ^(J)vessel, since they are heirs with you^[a] of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.