Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

²¹ Give way to each other because you respect Christ.

²² Wives, obey your husbands as you obey the Lord.

²³ The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church people. The church is his body and he saved it.

²⁴ Wives should obey their husbands in everything, just as the church people obey Christ.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church people. He gave his life for the church.

²⁶ He did that so that he might make the church people holy, when they were washed with water by God's word.

²⁷ He gave his life for the church so that one day he can look at the church and see that the people are great and wonderful. The people of the church must have no dirty spot or wrinkle or any thing like that. But they are to be holy and good.

²⁸ So husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself.

²⁹ No one ever hated his own body. But he feeds it and takes care of it.

³⁰ In the same way Christ takes care of the church because we are parts of his body.

³¹ The holy writings say `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother. He shall be joined to his wife, and the two of them shall be like one person.'

³² This is a wonderful plan of God. I am speaking here of the plan about Christ and the church people.

³³ However, each one of you should love his wife as he loves himself. And the wife should respect her husband.

6 Children, obey your parents as the Lord wants you to. This is the right thing to do. 2,

² `Respect your father and mother.' This is the first law of God with a promise: `So that all will be well with you, and that you may live long on earth.'

³ Fathers, do not make your children angry. But teach them the things children need to know, and tell them what they must not do. Teach them what Christ would teach them.

⁴ Servants, obey your boss. Respect him with all your heart and try to please him as you would Christ.

⁵ Obey not only when he is looking at you, as if you were pleasing a man. But obey as the servants of Christ, and do with all your heart what God wants you to do.

⁶ Work gladly as if you were working for the Lord and not for men.

⁷ You know that the Lord will pay every man for the good things he does. It does not matter if he is a servant or a free man.

⁸ And you who are bosses, be good to your servants also. Do not talk loud, hard words to them. Remember that both their Lord and yours is in heaven. He does not love one person more than another.

⁹ Last of all, I say this. Be strong in the Lord and use the strength he gives.