²²Wives, be subject^t to your husbands as to the Lord,^* ²³for the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.^* ²⁴Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, so that she may be holy and without blemish.^* ²⁸In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹For no one ever hates his own flesh, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, ³⁰because we are members of his body.^u^* ³¹“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^* ³²This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church. ³³Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect^v her husband.

Children and Parents

⁶Children, obey your parents in the Lord,^w for this is right. ²“Honor your father and mother”—this is the first commandment with a promise^*—³“so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

⁴And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.^*

Slaves and Masters

⁵Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect^x and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ,^* ⁶not with a slavery performed merely for looks, to please people, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul. ⁷Render service with enthusiasm, as for the Lord and not for humans, ⁸knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are enslaved or free.

⁹And, masters,^y do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Lord^z in heaven, and with him there is no partiality.^*

Read in Logos

Ephesians 6:2–3: “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Footnotes

tGk lacks be subject
uOther ancient authorities add of his flesh and of his bones
vOr fear
wOther ancient authorities lack in the Lord
xOr fear
yIn Gk the same word is used for master and Lord
zIn Gk the same word is used for master and Lord

Cross references

*Gen 3:16; Eph 6:5
*1 Cor 11:3; Eph 1:23; Col 1:18
*Eph 1:4; Col 1:22
*1 Cor 6:15; Eph 1:23
*Gen 2:24; Mt 19:5; 1 Cor 6:16
*Deut 5:16
*Gen 18:19; Col 3:21
*1 Chr 29:17; Phil 2:12; Col 3:22; 1 Tim 6:1
*Lev 25:43; Jn 13:13; Col 3:25