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

¹⁹ Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals^(B) and all the birds in the sky.^(C) He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called^(D) each living creature,^(E) 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^(F) was found. ²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;^(G) 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](H) he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

²³ The man said,

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

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

Divorce^(A)

10 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan.^(B) Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.^(C)

² Some Pharisees^(D) came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

³ “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

⁴ They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”^(E)

⁵ “It was because your hearts were hard^(F) that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. ⁶ “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’^{[a](G) 7} ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,^{[b] 8} and the two will become one flesh.’^[c](H) So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

¹⁰ When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. ¹¹ He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.^{(I) 12} And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”^(J)

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.