15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden(A) to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;(B) 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,(C) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”(D)

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”(E)

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals(F) and all the birds in the sky.(G) He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called(H) each living creature,(I) that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam[a] no suitable helper(J) was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;(K) and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[b] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[c](L) he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;(M)
she shall be called(N) ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.(O)

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united(P) to his wife, and they become one flesh.(Q)

25 Adam and his wife were both naked,(R) and they felt no shame.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 2:20 Or the man
  2. Genesis 2:21 Or took part of the man’s side
  3. Genesis 2:22 Or part

15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

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Instructions for Christian Households(A)

21 Submit to one another(B) out of reverence for Christ.

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

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

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
  2. Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24

21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

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