Rules for Christian Households

18 ^qWives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 ^rHusbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

4 He must ^fmanage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, ^ghow will he care for God’s church?

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, ^lpure, ^mworking at home, kind, and ⁿsubmissive to their own husbands, ^othat the word of God may not be reviled.

Wives and Husbands

1 Likewise, ^lwives, ^mbe subject to your own husbands, so that ⁿeven if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and ^opure conduct. 3 ^pDo not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the ^qhidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^rcalling him lord. And ^syou are ^ther children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

7 Likewise, ^uhusbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are ^vheirs with you¹ of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.