23 The man said,

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

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

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

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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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32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs(A)—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.(B) But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided(C) devotion to the Lord.

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32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

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Two Kinds of Wisdom

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it(A) by their good life, by deeds(B) done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition(C) in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.(D) 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven(E) but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.(F) 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition,(G) there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven(H) is first of all pure; then peace-loving,(I) considerate, submissive, full of mercy(J) and good fruit, impartial and sincere.(K) 18 Peacemakers(L) who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.(M)

Submit Yourselves to God

What causes fights and quarrels(N) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle(O) within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill.(P) You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive,(Q) because you ask with wrong motives,(R) that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

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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