²⁹ He who has the bride is ^(A)the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this ^(B)joy of mine has been made full.

² For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I ^(A)betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might ^(B)present you as a pure virgin.

Marriage Like Christ and the Church

^22 (A)Wives, ^(B)be subject to your own husbands, ^(C)as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(D)the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the ^(E)head of the church, He Himself ^(F)being the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

^25 (G)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and ^(H)gave Himself up for her, ^26 (I)so that He might sanctify her, having ^(J)cleansed her by the ^(K)washing of water with ^(L)the word, ²⁷ that He might ^(M)present to Himself the church ^[a]in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be ^(N)holy and blameless. ²⁸ So husbands ought also to ^(O)love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; ²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, ³⁰ because we are ^(P)members of His ^(Q)body. ^31 (R)For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ³² This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

Marriage of the Lamb

⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad and ^(A)give the glory to Him, for ^(B)the marriage of the Lamb has come and His ^[a](C)bride has made herself ready.” ⁸ It was given to her to clothe herself in ^(D)fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the ^(E)righteous acts of the ^[b]saints.

⁹ Then ^(F)he *said to me, “^(G)Write, ‘^(H)Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “^(I)These are true words of God.”