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17 Because of this, don’t be ignorant, but understand the Lord’s will. 18 Don’t get drunk on wine, which produces depravity. Instead, be filled with the Spirit in the following ways: 19 speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts; 20 always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 and submit to each other out of respect for Christ. 22 For example, wives should submit to their husbands as if to the Lord. 23 A husband is the head of his wife like Christ is head of the church, that is, the savior of the body. 24 So wives submit to their husbands in everything like the church submits to Christ. 25 As for husbands, love your wives just like Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. 26 He did this to make her holy by washing her in a bath of water with the word. 27 He did this to present himself with a splendid church, one without any sort of stain or wrinkle on her clothes, but rather one that is holy and blameless. 28 That’s how husbands ought to love their wives—in the same way as they do their own bodies. Anyone who loves his wife loves himself. 29 No one ever hates his own body, but feeds it and takes care of it just like Christ does for the church 30 because we are parts of his body. 31 This is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two of them will be one body.[a] 32 Marriage is a significant allegory,[b] and I’m applying it to Christ and the church. 33 In any case, as for you individually, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and wives should respect[c] their husbands.

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17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.(A) 18 Do not get drunk on wine,(B) which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,(C) 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.(D) Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks(E) to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Instructions for Christian Households(F)

21 Submit to one another(G) out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands(H) as you do to the Lord.(I) 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,(J) his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands(K) in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives,(L) just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her(M) 26 to make her holy,(N) cleansing[a] her by the washing(O) with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself(P) as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.(Q) 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives(R) 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.(S) 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](T) 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(U) 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