| And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. | Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. |
| An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. | A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. |
|
| For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! | If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. |
| For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. | For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. |
| You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. | You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you. |
| Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. | Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. |
| Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. | Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word. |
| So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. | So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. |
| And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you. | May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. |
| Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. | Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. |
| Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? | Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? |
| House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. | Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. |
| Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” | The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” |
| But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. | But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. |
| Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. | As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. |
| For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. | Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. |
| A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. | A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. |
| But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. | Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. |
| Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. | Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. |
| A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. | A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. |
| In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. | In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. |
| However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. | However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. |
| You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. | ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ |
