The Christian Home^(A)

^18 (B)Wives, submit to your own husbands, ^(C)as is fitting in the Lord.

^19 (D)Husbands, love your wives and do not be ^(E)bitter toward them.

^20 (F)Children, obey your parents ^(G)in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

^21 (H)Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

^22 (I)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ^23 (J)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ^24 (K)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; ^(L)for^[a] you serve the Lord Christ. ²⁵ But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and ^(M)there is no partiality.

Christian Graces; Final Greetings

4 Masters,^(N) give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Marriage—Christ and the Church^(A)

²² Wives, ^(B)submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(C)the husband is head of the wife, as also ^(D)Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴ Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands ^(E)in everything.

^25 (F)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and ^(G)gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might ^[a]sanctify and cleanse her ^(H)with the washing of water ^(I)by the word, ^27 (J)that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, ^(K)not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ³⁰ For ^(L)we are members of His body, ^[b]of His flesh and of His bones. ^31 (M)“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the ^(N)two shall become one flesh.” ³² This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless ^(O)let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^(P)respects her husband.

Children and Parents^(Q)

6 Children, ^(R)obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ^2 (S)“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: ³ “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

⁴ And ^(T)you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but ^(U)bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

^5 (V)Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, ^(W)with fear and trembling, ^(X)in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ^6 (Y)not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ^8 (Z)knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

⁹ And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that ^[c]your own ^(AA)Master also is in heaven, and ^(AB)there is no partiality with Him.